Home again, home again, jiggedy jig.
After a morning of playing hide n seek with Chicklet, it was then time to leave.
The Bare-chested Chef and I took Vegan Chickie and Chicklet to the bakery, where we said our goodbyes and then he and I drove to Cooroy, where he dropped me off with my luggage and I spent a very pleasant morning browsing and shopping and savouring a delicious fresh juice made with beetroot, celery, cucumber, spinach, apple and ginger. I also bought some fresh fruit to munch on. The red grapes were divine!
When I made my way to the train station, there was, just like my last trip, a large group of young people waiting for the train.
They were part of an adventure tour and were heading to Rockhampton, where they would disembark and travel further north. This is information that I caught by listening to snippets of conversations. All of them had back packs and other assorted travel bags, which covered a large area of the platform.
One of the girls was sitting beside me on a bench seat and asked if I had a pen that she could borrow. As I searched through my handbag for a pen, she pulled out a beautiful leather bound journal. She expressed overwhelming gratitude when I handed her a pen, explaining that she had lost her pen at the last place where the group stayed.
She had a Canadian accent and it was obvious that she was keeping a journal of her travels in Australia, so I told her to keep the pen. Again, she expressed her gratitude and I know, without a doubt, that my pen went to a good home!
A second group of young people arrived at the station, but without a leader. They had been told that the train arrived at 1.40pm, so half of them walked across the road to get food. By this time it was 12.40pm and train was actually due at 12.58pm. So there was a mad scramble to get them back to the station.
The second group had no idea where they were even going, so the leader of the first group decided to take charge, made some phone calls to Queensland Rail and found out how many there should be in the group and what their destination was.
By the time the train pulled into the station, she had everything under control. She was a high energy kind of girl, not that much older than the people in both groups and she was loud! With 35 young people in their late teens to organise, I guess she had to be loud.
I had a seat to myself on the train and I attempted to read one of my new books, but I just couldn't get into it, so I was a sticky beak and watched and listened to an older woman talking to a younger man about her tattoos.
She may have been a professional tattoo artist because she was scrolling through her phone and showing him photo after photo of tattoos. It seems her favourites were the eagles and she talked about taking pride in the feather detail.
Other than that, even though it was quite full, my carriage was very quiet. I decided to listen to the radio for the remainder of the trip.
The train was running about twenty minutes late, but Adoring Husband was there waiting. It's always so good to see his face when I step onto the station platform at my destination.
The psychotic dogs were happy to see me and I was happy to be home.
I'm looking forward to seeing the girls for morning tea tomorrow. I might even get to bed at a reasonable hour!
Nite all.
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
Monday, March 14, 2016
To the Point
Just a short post tonight.
Vegan Chickie and I saw the movie "The Lady in The Van" today. We loved it.
It's not a movie for everyone. The pace is quite slow and nothing really happens, but Maggie Smith is absolutely brilliant in this role (as she is in everything!). The other characters in the film are perfectly cast and you almost feel like you're part of the neighbourhood.
I'm so glad that I got to see it, because it's one of those films that you can easily put off seeing, until it's finished at the cinema, and then you forget all about it.
After the movie, we browsed through a second hand book store, where I bought a series of Susan Howatch books, enjoyed lunch at the Canteen Cafe in Noosa and then partook of a little retail therapy. I got a nice shell pendant for myself, and a little decorative owl to hang in my frangipani tree.
We arrived home to house that had been turned upside down because The Bare-chested Chef and Chicklet had built a dragon fort out of all the furniture and blankets in the house!!
Chicklet said to me as we drove home (they came to pick Vegan Chickie and I up) "You won't believe your eyes!!" and she was right!!
It was a very good day and I am feeling quite worn out. 10.30 seems like a good time to close my eyes and drift into dreamland.
Nite all.
Vegan Chickie and I saw the movie "The Lady in The Van" today. We loved it.
It's not a movie for everyone. The pace is quite slow and nothing really happens, but Maggie Smith is absolutely brilliant in this role (as she is in everything!). The other characters in the film are perfectly cast and you almost feel like you're part of the neighbourhood.
I'm so glad that I got to see it, because it's one of those films that you can easily put off seeing, until it's finished at the cinema, and then you forget all about it.
After the movie, we browsed through a second hand book store, where I bought a series of Susan Howatch books, enjoyed lunch at the Canteen Cafe in Noosa and then partook of a little retail therapy. I got a nice shell pendant for myself, and a little decorative owl to hang in my frangipani tree.
We arrived home to house that had been turned upside down because The Bare-chested Chef and Chicklet had built a dragon fort out of all the furniture and blankets in the house!!
Chicklet said to me as we drove home (they came to pick Vegan Chickie and I up) "You won't believe your eyes!!" and she was right!!
It was a very good day and I am feeling quite worn out. 10.30 seems like a good time to close my eyes and drift into dreamland.
Nite all.
Sunday, March 13, 2016
Lack of Control
So I am a Grey's Anatomy fan and I watched all four episodes last night, which meant it was after 12.30am when I turned off the light and fell asleep. I am certainly a glutton for punishment, but I just have no control when it comes to Grey's.
You simply cannot keep up with a crazy Chicklet after a late night like that!!
Chicklet was struggling with life today, so we decided to not go out for breakfast as planned, and stay at home for some quiet time, so that she would be ok for her swimming lesson tomorrow.
It was 'touch and go' for most of the day, but we had fun none-the-less.
We started by creating some artworks to send to BGWLBH, including an invitation to Chicklet's sock party, which was today, so BGWLBH didn't attend.
At the sock party, we each wore socks and we danced. I taught Chicklet how to do the 'Dead Ant' which was a crazy thing that our group did at the club and at our parties. Someone would yell "Dead Ant" and everybody would drop to the ground onto their back with their legs and arms pointing skywards and flailing about. Yes, I see the frown on your face. It's a true story!
We also played Knight vs Dragon. Chicklet set up a shop and we played 'shops', where I would come to the shop as a different creature each time (dog, cat, dinosaur, dragon, giraffe, bunny) and buy her wares. When I ran out of money, she would give it all back to me so that I could buy more stuff. I wish all shop keepers were so generous!
We played in the sand pit and made sand castles and sand muffins.
We walked around the garden and picked the 'wish flowers' so that we could make a wish.
We watched the movie 'The Little Prince'.
Finally, it was bath time, story time and then bed time.
A fairly full and busy day considering it was 'a quiet day at home'.
I'm looking forward to seeing how much Chicklet has improved with her swimming tomorrow and then catching a movie with Vegan Chickie afterwards.
Bed time for me now.
Nite all.
You simply cannot keep up with a crazy Chicklet after a late night like that!!
Chicklet was struggling with life today, so we decided to not go out for breakfast as planned, and stay at home for some quiet time, so that she would be ok for her swimming lesson tomorrow.
It was 'touch and go' for most of the day, but we had fun none-the-less.
We started by creating some artworks to send to BGWLBH, including an invitation to Chicklet's sock party, which was today, so BGWLBH didn't attend.
At the sock party, we each wore socks and we danced. I taught Chicklet how to do the 'Dead Ant' which was a crazy thing that our group did at the club and at our parties. Someone would yell "Dead Ant" and everybody would drop to the ground onto their back with their legs and arms pointing skywards and flailing about. Yes, I see the frown on your face. It's a true story!
We also played Knight vs Dragon. Chicklet set up a shop and we played 'shops', where I would come to the shop as a different creature each time (dog, cat, dinosaur, dragon, giraffe, bunny) and buy her wares. When I ran out of money, she would give it all back to me so that I could buy more stuff. I wish all shop keepers were so generous!
We played in the sand pit and made sand castles and sand muffins.
We walked around the garden and picked the 'wish flowers' so that we could make a wish.
We watched the movie 'The Little Prince'.
Finally, it was bath time, story time and then bed time.
A fairly full and busy day considering it was 'a quiet day at home'.
I'm looking forward to seeing how much Chicklet has improved with her swimming tomorrow and then catching a movie with Vegan Chickie afterwards.
Bed time for me now.
Nite all.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
Our Mind has the Power
Some interesting reading matter about how the body is capable of healing itself - how the placebo effect is more powerful that anybody first realised.
So powerful, in fact, that the drug companies are having trouble getting their medications approved, because the people who received the placebo, had just as good results as the people who received the real thing!
The mind and the human body are truly amazing.
Why Is The Placebo Effect Exploding In The U.S. But Nowhere Else? - Forbes:
Placebo Effect Grows in the US
Altered Placebo and Drug Labelling Changes the Outcome
Healing with the Power of Placebo
Adoring Husband drove me to the Sunny Coast today so that I could spend three nights with the Chicklet family.
I spent the day playing with Chicklet who was very hyper and full of exciting playing ideas that sent her into overdrive.
The one time I got her to sit still on the bed with me to watch a dvd, she saw a GREAT idea and jumped out of bed urging me to follow her so that we could create our own igloo!
We played 'Three Little Pigs', 'Dragon and The Three Bears' (as opposed to Goldilocks and TTBs), we made a litter of dogs out of toilet rolls, we experimented with chalk dust to see what colours we could create and then massaged the dust into some pet dinosaurs and crocodiles, we played on the swing, we played hide and seek, we played tag (she is much faster now - I can't catch her and she CAN catch me!) and we did some drawing and cutting out.
Yes, you might say that I'm feeling a little worn out and after the 'TAG' fiasco, I may be feeling a little sore tomorrow!
We are starting with an early breakfast at The Bare-chested Chef's restaurant tomorrow morning and according to Chicklet, we will be having a 'sock party' some time during the day. Who knows what that will entail???
I'm off to catch up on some episodes of Grey's Anatomy and then fall into a deep slumber.
Nite all.
So powerful, in fact, that the drug companies are having trouble getting their medications approved, because the people who received the placebo, had just as good results as the people who received the real thing!
The mind and the human body are truly amazing.
Why Is The Placebo Effect Exploding In The U.S. But Nowhere Else? - Forbes:
Placebo Effect Grows in the US
Altered Placebo and Drug Labelling Changes the Outcome
Healing with the Power of Placebo
Adoring Husband drove me to the Sunny Coast today so that I could spend three nights with the Chicklet family.
I spent the day playing with Chicklet who was very hyper and full of exciting playing ideas that sent her into overdrive.
The one time I got her to sit still on the bed with me to watch a dvd, she saw a GREAT idea and jumped out of bed urging me to follow her so that we could create our own igloo!
We played 'Three Little Pigs', 'Dragon and The Three Bears' (as opposed to Goldilocks and TTBs), we made a litter of dogs out of toilet rolls, we experimented with chalk dust to see what colours we could create and then massaged the dust into some pet dinosaurs and crocodiles, we played on the swing, we played hide and seek, we played tag (she is much faster now - I can't catch her and she CAN catch me!) and we did some drawing and cutting out.
Yes, you might say that I'm feeling a little worn out and after the 'TAG' fiasco, I may be feeling a little sore tomorrow!
We are starting with an early breakfast at The Bare-chested Chef's restaurant tomorrow morning and according to Chicklet, we will be having a 'sock party' some time during the day. Who knows what that will entail???
I'm off to catch up on some episodes of Grey's Anatomy and then fall into a deep slumber.
Nite all.
Friday, March 11, 2016
Hullo Goodye
This is short and sweet.
We are off to the Sunny Coast tomorrow, so I'm heading to bed for a delicious night of sound sleep.
Check this out ... coconut oil
Nite all.
We are off to the Sunny Coast tomorrow, so I'm heading to bed for a delicious night of sound sleep.
Check this out ... coconut oil
Nite all.
Thursday, March 10, 2016
Funny or What?
I read 100 jokes by famous comedians today and only six of them appealed to me. There were a couple of others, but they were too naughty to share here.
I spent some time in the kitchen today and was very happy with all the results. For lunch I made crispy skin chicken, cauliflower puree with candied walnuts and garlic butter asparagus.
This afternoon I mad some paleo apple and walnut muffins.
I don't have a photo of dinner, but I made Chicken and Liver Larb. It sounds terrible but it was more like a chilli lime chicken dish made with chicken mince and finely chopped chicken liver. Really delicious with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions and lime juice and chillies and mint and basil and coriander (all fresh) stirred through it and flaked almonds sprinkled over the top. Full of flavour and so nutritious. Served with lettuce and cucumber.
My job from the job board today was to clean the fridge out. The timing for that job was perfect because the fridge was shiny and sparkly clean, ready for all the fresh vegetables that came in the FROG box today.
I spent thirty minutes sitting in the shade overlooking the river this morning listening to music and watching all the boating activity happening on top of the water and enjoying the sea life that was visible under the water. Lots of bait fish about!
I had a short visit with The Motivator this morning too. We laughed a lot.
So it's been a busy and productive day. I must say, that after just four days back on the paleo program, I already feel more energised and clear headed. The caffeine withdrawals have disappeared (hopefully for good) and I'm feeling fine!
It's 10.30pm, so I'm off for an early night.
Nite all.
- Two cannibals were eating a clown when one said to the other "Does he taste funny to you?"
- I thought I'd begin by reading a poem by William Shakespeare, but then I thought, why should I? He never reads any of mine!
- How do you tell when you're out of invisible ink?
- Do you know how many middle aged men go out for a litre of milk and never come back? Not enough.
- My boyfriend had a sex manual but he was dyslexic. I was lying there and he was looking for my vinegar.
- How come Miss Universe is only won by people from earth?
I thought this little video was hilarious and was I imagining BGWLBH and I in the same situation.
I spent some time in the kitchen today and was very happy with all the results. For lunch I made crispy skin chicken, cauliflower puree with candied walnuts and garlic butter asparagus.
This afternoon I mad some paleo apple and walnut muffins.
I don't have a photo of dinner, but I made Chicken and Liver Larb. It sounds terrible but it was more like a chilli lime chicken dish made with chicken mince and finely chopped chicken liver. Really delicious with toasted sesame seeds and spring onions and lime juice and chillies and mint and basil and coriander (all fresh) stirred through it and flaked almonds sprinkled over the top. Full of flavour and so nutritious. Served with lettuce and cucumber.
My job from the job board today was to clean the fridge out. The timing for that job was perfect because the fridge was shiny and sparkly clean, ready for all the fresh vegetables that came in the FROG box today.
I spent thirty minutes sitting in the shade overlooking the river this morning listening to music and watching all the boating activity happening on top of the water and enjoying the sea life that was visible under the water. Lots of bait fish about!
I had a short visit with The Motivator this morning too. We laughed a lot.
So it's been a busy and productive day. I must say, that after just four days back on the paleo program, I already feel more energised and clear headed. The caffeine withdrawals have disappeared (hopefully for good) and I'm feeling fine!
It's 10.30pm, so I'm off for an early night.
Nite all.
Under the Stars
Yesterday, I was invited by The Motivator, to drive into The Bay with her, and meet with a group of people on the beach for an evening of meditation under the stars.
Meditation is on my list of 100 things to do this year, so I was very excited that she thought of me!
We picked up another lady on the way. I will call her 'Hippie of Hope'.
We arrived nice and early. They were still setting up on the beach .. not far from Enzo's .. and we introduced ourselves to the two women in charge. J1 and J2. There was a man there lighting candles that were sitting inside about twenty glass jars scattered about the allocated area.
Apparently, the group usually meditates under the full moon, but tonight, without a moon, the beach was very dark and the stars were amazing! We spotted satellites and shooting stars and we got to spend half an hour star gazing before we meditated.
There were probably 25 of us spread out over the sand. Some were sitting in folding chairs, some lying on towels, some sitting in the lotus position, some face down on their belly, some on their back. The ages ranged from 8 to 78 and everybody was happy and friendly.
At around 7pm, J1 began guiding us through the meditation. She slowly weaved her way between us all taking us, with her words, deep into the ocean with golden lights and helping us wash away our fears, our bad memories and our anger, then lifting us with thoughts of love and asking us to spread our good energy and positivity all over the planet, starting with our loved ones and spreading outward to everyone and anyone who we thought needed it.
All the while, a soft breeze was caressing our skin and waves were rolling and breaking gently on the beach as the tide came in.
It was the tide that ended our evening a little earlier than planned. The waves almost reached the toes of the people closest to the water, when J1 brought us out of our meditative trance.
The lesson I learned from tonight, is that my cane mat is not comfortable for meditation purposes. Either a yoga mat, or just a towel would be better. I took a tiny pillow for my head, which was ideal, but the cane mat was very hard under my hips and lower back and the discomfort interfered with the process.
The joys of getting older.
I didn't even think to take a photo. I was too 'in the moment' as soon as my feet touched the sand, but we'll be going for the full moon meditation in two weeks, so I'll try and capture the ambience then and share it here.
It was morning tea with the girls today. As usual, an enjoyable couple of hours. We discussed a website that I often shop at, because I opened a parcel that arrived in the mail, with items bought from there. I promised to provide a link to the site so here it is ...
Zulily
Now it is rapidly approaching 1am, so I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
Meditation is on my list of 100 things to do this year, so I was very excited that she thought of me!
We picked up another lady on the way. I will call her 'Hippie of Hope'.
We arrived nice and early. They were still setting up on the beach .. not far from Enzo's .. and we introduced ourselves to the two women in charge. J1 and J2. There was a man there lighting candles that were sitting inside about twenty glass jars scattered about the allocated area.
Apparently, the group usually meditates under the full moon, but tonight, without a moon, the beach was very dark and the stars were amazing! We spotted satellites and shooting stars and we got to spend half an hour star gazing before we meditated.
There were probably 25 of us spread out over the sand. Some were sitting in folding chairs, some lying on towels, some sitting in the lotus position, some face down on their belly, some on their back. The ages ranged from 8 to 78 and everybody was happy and friendly.
At around 7pm, J1 began guiding us through the meditation. She slowly weaved her way between us all taking us, with her words, deep into the ocean with golden lights and helping us wash away our fears, our bad memories and our anger, then lifting us with thoughts of love and asking us to spread our good energy and positivity all over the planet, starting with our loved ones and spreading outward to everyone and anyone who we thought needed it.
All the while, a soft breeze was caressing our skin and waves were rolling and breaking gently on the beach as the tide came in.
It was the tide that ended our evening a little earlier than planned. The waves almost reached the toes of the people closest to the water, when J1 brought us out of our meditative trance.
The lesson I learned from tonight, is that my cane mat is not comfortable for meditation purposes. Either a yoga mat, or just a towel would be better. I took a tiny pillow for my head, which was ideal, but the cane mat was very hard under my hips and lower back and the discomfort interfered with the process.
The joys of getting older.
I didn't even think to take a photo. I was too 'in the moment' as soon as my feet touched the sand, but we'll be going for the full moon meditation in two weeks, so I'll try and capture the ambience then and share it here.
It was morning tea with the girls today. As usual, an enjoyable couple of hours. We discussed a website that I often shop at, because I opened a parcel that arrived in the mail, with items bought from there. I promised to provide a link to the site so here it is ...
Zulily
Now it is rapidly approaching 1am, so I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Still Withdrawing.
Word of the day: 'Somnolent' (adj) sleepy or drowsy
This is how I feel during the day while I'm withdrawing from caffeine .. but then when I go to bed at night, it takes forever to fall asleep!
I am experiencing most of these symptoms ...
... and that's why my blog posts will be short and erratic for the next few days.
We are still working our way through the jobs on the board, although Adoring Husband didn't do his chore today - instead he pinned it face up on the board, so I guess he might get to it tomorrow. I like to watch the cards disappear each day.
I made paleo lamb moussaka for dinner tonight. I haven't made it before and I didn't follow the recipe because it was quite late when I started dinner and I didn't have the time to do it by the book, so I adapted it to suit my time restrictions. It worked well.
It might be time for me to go to bed. If I go now, I might fall asleep by midnight if I'm lucky.
Nite all.
This is how I feel during the day while I'm withdrawing from caffeine .. but then when I go to bed at night, it takes forever to fall asleep!
I am experiencing most of these symptoms ...
... and that's why my blog posts will be short and erratic for the next few days.
We are still working our way through the jobs on the board, although Adoring Husband didn't do his chore today - instead he pinned it face up on the board, so I guess he might get to it tomorrow. I like to watch the cards disappear each day.
I made paleo lamb moussaka for dinner tonight. I haven't made it before and I didn't follow the recipe because it was quite late when I started dinner and I didn't have the time to do it by the book, so I adapted it to suit my time restrictions. It worked well.
It might be time for me to go to bed. If I go now, I might fall asleep by midnight if I'm lucky.
Nite all.
Monday, March 7, 2016
A Bit of WOW
Apparently this film has been making the rounds since 2014, but today was my first viewing of it and I was amazed. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Today is day one of my ten week paleo program and I haven't had a coffee. I felt like I was doing ok, but it has been a slow and gradual decline and the withdrawals are beginning to kick in with vengeance!
Still no vision board.
Two more jobs removed and completed from the job board, so that's a positive for the day.
Now I'm going to sleep off some withdrawals.
Nite all.
Today is day one of my ten week paleo program and I haven't had a coffee. I felt like I was doing ok, but it has been a slow and gradual decline and the withdrawals are beginning to kick in with vengeance!
Still no vision board.
Two more jobs removed and completed from the job board, so that's a positive for the day.
Now I'm going to sleep off some withdrawals.
Nite all.
Sunday, March 6, 2016
Lots of Jobs!
Word of the day:
'Dysania' (n) the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning.
I do love my bed, and most mornings I enjoy spending an hour sitting up in bed reading or using my iPad. Some days I definitely experience dysania.
It seems, by the many comments (on FB, private messages, emails and here), about how many jobs are on my board, that the rest of the world is a lot better organised and more efficient than I!!
I hope that one day I will become proficient at 'adulting' .. OR .. I will give up, and continue excelling at being a middle aged teenage hippie with no interest in being house proud. There is always something more fun or more enjoyable or more relaxing to do, than housework.
My vision board didn't quite come to fruition today. I have a pile of magazines stacked beside my 'spot' on the couch, with a pair of scissors and a small box to store the pictures and words and symbols that I choose, but between Facebooking, watching two games of football, cooking lunch and dinner and completing my job off the board, I didn't quite reach the high motivational requirement to be as creative as I wish to be for this board.
Perhaps tomorrow will be the day. Photo still to come!
I'm starting the 10 week paleo way program again tomorrow.
Having re-introduced certain foods into my diet, my body is sliding back into it's unhappy 'pre-paleo' state. Too much coffee, dairy, potatoes, rice and sugary fruit has helped see the return of aching joints, broken sleep, fluctuating energy levels, duller skin and crazy mood swings.
I want to feel vibrant, energetic, calm and glowy again .. especially after all the work I've had on my mouth to help me reach a healthier state.
So it seems that I'm trying to gain control in a few areas of my life at the moment!
Tomorrow morning, I'd like to find my way to the water and possibly catch some wind surfers out practising. Burrum Windfest is on this week, so I might dust the camera off and attempt some action photography.
That means I need to sleep now.
Nite all.
'Dysania' (n) the state of finding it hard to get out of bed in the morning.
I do love my bed, and most mornings I enjoy spending an hour sitting up in bed reading or using my iPad. Some days I definitely experience dysania.
It seems, by the many comments (on FB, private messages, emails and here), about how many jobs are on my board, that the rest of the world is a lot better organised and more efficient than I!!
I hope that one day I will become proficient at 'adulting' .. OR .. I will give up, and continue excelling at being a middle aged teenage hippie with no interest in being house proud. There is always something more fun or more enjoyable or more relaxing to do, than housework.
My vision board didn't quite come to fruition today. I have a pile of magazines stacked beside my 'spot' on the couch, with a pair of scissors and a small box to store the pictures and words and symbols that I choose, but between Facebooking, watching two games of football, cooking lunch and dinner and completing my job off the board, I didn't quite reach the high motivational requirement to be as creative as I wish to be for this board.
Perhaps tomorrow will be the day. Photo still to come!
I'm starting the 10 week paleo way program again tomorrow.
Having re-introduced certain foods into my diet, my body is sliding back into it's unhappy 'pre-paleo' state. Too much coffee, dairy, potatoes, rice and sugary fruit has helped see the return of aching joints, broken sleep, fluctuating energy levels, duller skin and crazy mood swings.
I want to feel vibrant, energetic, calm and glowy again .. especially after all the work I've had on my mouth to help me reach a healthier state.
So it seems that I'm trying to gain control in a few areas of my life at the moment!
Tomorrow morning, I'd like to find my way to the water and possibly catch some wind surfers out practising. Burrum Windfest is on this week, so I might dust the camera off and attempt some action photography.
That means I need to sleep now.
Nite all.
Saturday, March 5, 2016
How to Train Me
Word of the day:
'Petrichor' (n) that pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a period of warm, dry weather.
There are some great storage ideas on this site that I found today ...
Simple Ways to Organise Your Wardrobe
I spent some time yesterday writing out 28 cards, each with a chore that needs to be done around the house.
Things like:
Today, I pinned the cards on the cork board, and each day, Adoring Husband and I will take a card and do the job that's written on it. Between the two of us, we could have all of the chores completed inside two weeks, but there will be days when we've got other commitments, so I hope that a month will cover it.
I did one of the chores today, without taking the card down. All of my emails are now read and/or deleted/saved. That job took more than two hours. No wonder the list, on it's own, looks so overwhelming!
Here I am, with 24 hours every day to fill. No work commitments. No children. No responsibilities. Yet I can't create a routine or schedule to get my life organised. I wonder how the hell I worked full time, raised three kids, looked after a house as well as fulfilling sporting commitments and social activities!
Obviously, I work better under pressure!
I've got a batch of chicken bone broth in the slow cooker as we speak and I juiced some pineapple, watermelon, mint and coconut water this morning, to help AH recover from a morning of mowing in this horrible heat and humidity.
We've spent the afternoon watching Super Saturday football. So far, I've tipped two from four, but loving the new footy season!
Tomorrow, after I've completed one of my chores, I'm going to create my new vision board for 2016. That should be fun. I'll post a photo in tomorrow's blog.
Nite all.
'Petrichor' (n) that pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a period of warm, dry weather.
There are some great storage ideas on this site that I found today ...
Simple Ways to Organise Your Wardrobe
I spent some time yesterday writing out 28 cards, each with a chore that needs to be done around the house.
Things like:
- Clearing the junk drawer
- Culling the filing cabinet
- Sorting through and donating clothes and shoes
- Washing windows
- Cleaning my desk drawers
- Dusting the skirting boards and the paintings hanging on the walls
- Clearing my unread emails (all 899 of them!)
- Getting the ironing up-to-date
- Donating recipe books and other old books in the bookcase
- Tossing all the boxes that once housed our kitchen gadgets, electronic devices and other assorted electrical appliances. Adoring Husband likes to keep them for a while and I believe there may be approximately twenty boxes in various locations around the house.
Today, I pinned the cards on the cork board, and each day, Adoring Husband and I will take a card and do the job that's written on it. Between the two of us, we could have all of the chores completed inside two weeks, but there will be days when we've got other commitments, so I hope that a month will cover it.
I did one of the chores today, without taking the card down. All of my emails are now read and/or deleted/saved. That job took more than two hours. No wonder the list, on it's own, looks so overwhelming!
Here I am, with 24 hours every day to fill. No work commitments. No children. No responsibilities. Yet I can't create a routine or schedule to get my life organised. I wonder how the hell I worked full time, raised three kids, looked after a house as well as fulfilling sporting commitments and social activities!
Obviously, I work better under pressure!
I've got a batch of chicken bone broth in the slow cooker as we speak and I juiced some pineapple, watermelon, mint and coconut water this morning, to help AH recover from a morning of mowing in this horrible heat and humidity.
We've spent the afternoon watching Super Saturday football. So far, I've tipped two from four, but loving the new footy season!
Tomorrow, after I've completed one of my chores, I'm going to create my new vision board for 2016. That should be fun. I'll post a photo in tomorrow's blog.
Nite all.
Friday, March 4, 2016
Whaddaya reckon?
This looks interesting ...
Personal Development Event
I'm going to check it out, as are a couple of my friends.
Time for bed.
Nite all.
Personal Development Event
I'm going to check it out, as are a couple of my friends.
Time for bed.
Nite all.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
A Day in The Bay
Word for the day 'drapetomania' - (n.) an overwhelming urge to run away.
The history of that word is not pleasant, but I won't go there.
I think I suffered from drapetomania for a lot of the time that I lived in Sydney.
There was no cleaning or de-cluttering today.
Instead we spent the day in The Bay. The first stop was Go Natural where I stocked up on organic chicken carcasses for my broth, a whole chicken, a tub of plain coconut yoghurt, a jar of kimchi, organic apples, coconut water, almond meal, coconut flour and a couple of other odds and ends.
We bought coffee from the place next door to Go Natural (I can't remember the name of the shop). They refuse to provide (with a sign on the counter to warn us)
Next stop was the mower shop for some new blades.
We selected the Bay Central Tavern as our stop for lunch. The tavern has just completed major renovations and they've done a great job. It has a nice friendly atmosphere and there is a large sports bar, a well hidden poker machine area and a lovely restaurant which includes the huge deck that wraps around two sides of the building.
The food was nice, but a touch bland. There were only three GF options and they were quite expensive. Lunch with a drink each cost $63.50 altogether. I don't think it was good value for money, but apparently, our lady's group is going there for lunch this month, so I'll give them a second chance.
It was nice to spend the day out with Adoring Husband.
After lunch we did some more grocery shopping, I bought what I hope will be the winning Ozlotto ticket and found a big tin money box to help me save money for the next road trip (just in case lotto doesn't pan out). I stole AH's $2 coins to start my saving stash.
We picked up our FROG box and arrived home mid afternoon.
Plenty of time to prepare for the first NRL game of the season between my team, the Brisbane Broncos and Parramatta Eels. Broncos won 17 - 4 and I picked the margin correctly in the WWOS footy tipping competition! Yay for me!
I'm so excited that the football season has started for 2016! I always miss it over the Summer.
I'm now watching Pretty Woman. One of my favourite movies. It always reminds me of Mum.
I forgot to mention yesterday (Wednesday) that it was the 37th anniversary of (my first son) Jamie's death. I'm pretty certain that there are only two people left on this earth, who remember Jamie's birth and death dates. (Thank you Grannymus for your email).
I kind of feel sad that there is nobody else left who can remember that he existed and who can remember the important dates connected to him. He is just a distant memory to my brother and sister, they don't remember the dates and never mention him.
I really must take the time to scan some old photos and share them on here, just so that they will be saved for posterity. You never know when someone in the future might wonder about him.
For any new readers, who don't know this story, Jamie was my first child, born 31st October 1978 and died of SIDS at the age of 17 weeks on 2nd March 1979.
It was a big year that year. In the space of twelve months, I got engaged, fell pregnant, turned 18, got married, gave birth 9 wks early to a baby who spent the first 8 weeks of his life in hospital, brought him home in time for Christmas and 9 weeks later, attended his funeral.
Inside the following five years, I gave birth to three healthy babies, and they have all grown into fabulous adults, so there was a happy ending!
I guess I can use this blog to keep Jamie's memory alive each year.
It has been a good day today! Tomorrow I might have a go at this 'cleaning' and 'de-cluttering' business. Small steps might make it work. I'm more of a 'big picture' kind of girl, so 'small steps' are tricky for me. I'm certain that I can do it.
Nite all.
The history of that word is not pleasant, but I won't go there.
I think I suffered from drapetomania for a lot of the time that I lived in Sydney.
There was no cleaning or de-cluttering today.
Instead we spent the day in The Bay. The first stop was Go Natural where I stocked up on organic chicken carcasses for my broth, a whole chicken, a tub of plain coconut yoghurt, a jar of kimchi, organic apples, coconut water, almond meal, coconut flour and a couple of other odds and ends.
We bought coffee from the place next door to Go Natural (I can't remember the name of the shop). They refuse to provide (with a sign on the counter to warn us)
- sugar
- anything extra large
- anything extra hot
- any syrup that you can normally buy at a coffee shop
Next stop was the mower shop for some new blades.
We selected the Bay Central Tavern as our stop for lunch. The tavern has just completed major renovations and they've done a great job. It has a nice friendly atmosphere and there is a large sports bar, a well hidden poker machine area and a lovely restaurant which includes the huge deck that wraps around two sides of the building.
The food was nice, but a touch bland. There were only three GF options and they were quite expensive. Lunch with a drink each cost $63.50 altogether. I don't think it was good value for money, but apparently, our lady's group is going there for lunch this month, so I'll give them a second chance.
It was nice to spend the day out with Adoring Husband.
After lunch we did some more grocery shopping, I bought what I hope will be the winning Ozlotto ticket and found a big tin money box to help me save money for the next road trip (just in case lotto doesn't pan out). I stole AH's $2 coins to start my saving stash.
We picked up our FROG box and arrived home mid afternoon.
Plenty of time to prepare for the first NRL game of the season between my team, the Brisbane Broncos and Parramatta Eels. Broncos won 17 - 4 and I picked the margin correctly in the WWOS footy tipping competition! Yay for me!
I'm so excited that the football season has started for 2016! I always miss it over the Summer.
I'm now watching Pretty Woman. One of my favourite movies. It always reminds me of Mum.
I forgot to mention yesterday (Wednesday) that it was the 37th anniversary of (my first son) Jamie's death. I'm pretty certain that there are only two people left on this earth, who remember Jamie's birth and death dates. (Thank you Grannymus for your email).
I kind of feel sad that there is nobody else left who can remember that he existed and who can remember the important dates connected to him. He is just a distant memory to my brother and sister, they don't remember the dates and never mention him.
I really must take the time to scan some old photos and share them on here, just so that they will be saved for posterity. You never know when someone in the future might wonder about him.
For any new readers, who don't know this story, Jamie was my first child, born 31st October 1978 and died of SIDS at the age of 17 weeks on 2nd March 1979.
It was a big year that year. In the space of twelve months, I got engaged, fell pregnant, turned 18, got married, gave birth 9 wks early to a baby who spent the first 8 weeks of his life in hospital, brought him home in time for Christmas and 9 weeks later, attended his funeral.
Inside the following five years, I gave birth to three healthy babies, and they have all grown into fabulous adults, so there was a happy ending!
I guess I can use this blog to keep Jamie's memory alive each year.
It has been a good day today! Tomorrow I might have a go at this 'cleaning' and 'de-cluttering' business. Small steps might make it work. I'm more of a 'big picture' kind of girl, so 'small steps' are tricky for me. I'm certain that I can do it.
Nite all.
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Cyber Space Gems
It's amazing what you can find when you look!
You know how I've been whinging about housework? About how much I detest it? About needing to do the job properly, or not at all? About my lack of motivation to do it? About wishing for an easy routine?
Well, I decided to do a search in youtube for some hints and tips on making housework easier, quicker and perhaps even more enjoyable (haha - as if!).
There are endless short and long videos with hints and tips on everything:
Or this one ... How To Clean Your Bedroom Closet
Or this one ... Cleaning Your Kitchen Cupboards and Drawers
Or my easy favourite ... 31 Days To Get Organised
For your amusement, I spent a good three hours sitting on the couch watching numerous videos on cleaning and de-cluttering and did not spend one single minute actually cleaning and de-cluttering!
Procrastinators unite!!
It's all fabulous and awesome in theory. Tomorrow, we'll find out if it's fabulous and awesome in practise!
Firstly, I need to squish the procrastination bug and then I need to find the motivation serum. Once I've got that all sorted, I should be able to begin the organisation/routine process.
Stay tuned for my report.
Nite all.
You know how I've been whinging about housework? About how much I detest it? About needing to do the job properly, or not at all? About my lack of motivation to do it? About wishing for an easy routine?
Well, I decided to do a search in youtube for some hints and tips on making housework easier, quicker and perhaps even more enjoyable (haha - as if!).
There are endless short and long videos with hints and tips on everything:
- Folding and storing clothes.
- De-cluttering closets, cupboards, drawers and rooms.
- Faking a clean house when visitors are arriving unexpectedly.
- Cleaning out your kitchen cupboards.
- Organising your laundry.
- 31 days to get organised.
- Organising paperwork.
- Tackling the bathroom vanity.
- Taming the junk drawer.
- Maintaining a clutter free home.
- Cleaning hacks.
- Spring cleaning.
Or this one ... How To Clean Your Bedroom Closet
Or this one ... Cleaning Your Kitchen Cupboards and Drawers
Or my easy favourite ... 31 Days To Get Organised
For your amusement, I spent a good three hours sitting on the couch watching numerous videos on cleaning and de-cluttering and did not spend one single minute actually cleaning and de-cluttering!
Procrastinators unite!!
It's all fabulous and awesome in theory. Tomorrow, we'll find out if it's fabulous and awesome in practise!
Firstly, I need to squish the procrastination bug and then I need to find the motivation serum. Once I've got that all sorted, I should be able to begin the organisation/routine process.
Stay tuned for my report.
Nite all.
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
You Can't be Serious!!
Just call me 'Forgetful Jones'!!
This is a day that I'd like to forget!!
Apparently, I was supposed to join the girls for aqua-aerobics this morning.
I remember having a discussion about it. I remember saying that I would see if my swimmers fit me before I could decide whether to go. I don't remember saying that I would go .. however, I MAY have agreed to do this after a bottle of wine on Friday night .. in which case the girls simply HAVE TO forgive me because I've warned them before that all conversations on Friday nights are null and void.
I may have agreed to join them over the lady's lunch .. which also includes wine .. same rules apply.
Anyway, the girls apparently waited in my driveway this morning .. while I slept soundly.
The girls called the home phone. Adoring Husband was at home, but watching TV with his headphones, so he heard nothing. We can't hear the home phone when the bedroom door is closed, so I heard nothing.
The girls called my mobile, which was switched to silent, so once again, I heard nothing.
Upon waking up, and discovering the missed call on my mobile and the message on my home message bank, I felt confused and guilty. Ugh.
I didn't phone anyone, because tonight is the monthly barbecue, so I decided to wait and to offer my apologies at the barbecue.
Well, guess what?
By mid afternoon, I had forgotten about the barbecue. Adoring Husband had forgotten about the barbecue.
We missed the barbecue.
At 10.30pm .. just thirty minutes ago .. I remembered the barbecue.
I cursed.
Loudly.
I've been looking forward to the barbecue since last Thursday. How the hell could I forget something like that?
So today is a day that I choose to forget.
I'll see the girls in the morning at our morning tea, so I will offer my apologies and hopefully they will forgive me for forgetting two dates in twenty four hours!!
Sorry girls :(
I didn't even have a busy day. There is no excuse!!
This was nice ...
I wonder if men, anywhere in the world, would take the same kind of notice of this ad, as women?
Time for bed.
Nite all.
This is a day that I'd like to forget!!
Apparently, I was supposed to join the girls for aqua-aerobics this morning.
I remember having a discussion about it. I remember saying that I would see if my swimmers fit me before I could decide whether to go. I don't remember saying that I would go .. however, I MAY have agreed to do this after a bottle of wine on Friday night .. in which case the girls simply HAVE TO forgive me because I've warned them before that all conversations on Friday nights are null and void.
I may have agreed to join them over the lady's lunch .. which also includes wine .. same rules apply.
Anyway, the girls apparently waited in my driveway this morning .. while I slept soundly.
The girls called the home phone. Adoring Husband was at home, but watching TV with his headphones, so he heard nothing. We can't hear the home phone when the bedroom door is closed, so I heard nothing.
The girls called my mobile, which was switched to silent, so once again, I heard nothing.
Upon waking up, and discovering the missed call on my mobile and the message on my home message bank, I felt confused and guilty. Ugh.
I didn't phone anyone, because tonight is the monthly barbecue, so I decided to wait and to offer my apologies at the barbecue.
Well, guess what?
By mid afternoon, I had forgotten about the barbecue. Adoring Husband had forgotten about the barbecue.
We missed the barbecue.
At 10.30pm .. just thirty minutes ago .. I remembered the barbecue.
I cursed.
Loudly.
I've been looking forward to the barbecue since last Thursday. How the hell could I forget something like that?
So today is a day that I choose to forget.
I'll see the girls in the morning at our morning tea, so I will offer my apologies and hopefully they will forgive me for forgetting two dates in twenty four hours!!
Sorry girls :(
I didn't even have a busy day. There is no excuse!!
This was nice ...
I wonder if men, anywhere in the world, would take the same kind of notice of this ad, as women?
Time for bed.
Nite all.
Monday, February 29, 2016
Maximum Minimum Effort
For me, when it comes to housework, it's always minimum work, but maximum effort. You know that, because I've explained it here in the past.
I would rather pick one job and do it well, than spend hours doing a lot of jobs badly.
This is kind of contradictory because even though I WANT my house to be spotless and perfect, my motivation levels don't allow me to do housework often enough, and that means, my house is never completely clean. *rolls eyes* Okay, it means that my house is almost always messy.
Today, I found a little motivation and cleaned the main bathroom and toilet. I also did some washing and made some chilli paste.
Chilli paste was on my 'to do' list for February, so I only just made it in the nick of time! I completed all but one item on my list this month. My desk/office didn't get touched, so it will be on top of my March list.
Thanks to Lady Lynn and The Lifesaver, I tossed my chillies (three big bags) into the food processor with coconut oil and avocado oil and some salt. I whizzed it to a paste and then plopped spoonfuls into 95 mini muffin patties and placed them on a tray into the freezer.
Once they were frozen, I put the patty pans into a container so that I can simply remove one whenever I need it.
I swept the floors. The worst thing about having three dogs and a husband who works out in the garden, is the amount of dirt and grass that gets traipsed into the house every day. I sweep a full dustpan of muck out of the house every day.
I detest housework! It really is 'never' done. If only the fresh and clean would last for days instead of minutes .. or if we're lucky .. hours.
I found this movie trailer today, and even though it's a kid's movie, it looks hilarious. We all have pets, so we can all relate to the cheekiness and quirkiness of the animals here.
I'll definitely look forward to watching this with Chicklet.
Tonight, I'm setting myself up to watch the Academy Awards. I may have to record the second half, because it goes til 1.30am and I doubt I'll stay up that late!
So nite all.
I would rather pick one job and do it well, than spend hours doing a lot of jobs badly.
This is kind of contradictory because even though I WANT my house to be spotless and perfect, my motivation levels don't allow me to do housework often enough, and that means, my house is never completely clean. *rolls eyes* Okay, it means that my house is almost always messy.
Today, I found a little motivation and cleaned the main bathroom and toilet. I also did some washing and made some chilli paste.
Chilli paste was on my 'to do' list for February, so I only just made it in the nick of time! I completed all but one item on my list this month. My desk/office didn't get touched, so it will be on top of my March list.
Thanks to Lady Lynn and The Lifesaver, I tossed my chillies (three big bags) into the food processor with coconut oil and avocado oil and some salt. I whizzed it to a paste and then plopped spoonfuls into 95 mini muffin patties and placed them on a tray into the freezer.
Once they were frozen, I put the patty pans into a container so that I can simply remove one whenever I need it.
I swept the floors. The worst thing about having three dogs and a husband who works out in the garden, is the amount of dirt and grass that gets traipsed into the house every day. I sweep a full dustpan of muck out of the house every day.
I detest housework! It really is 'never' done. If only the fresh and clean would last for days instead of minutes .. or if we're lucky .. hours.
I found this movie trailer today, and even though it's a kid's movie, it looks hilarious. We all have pets, so we can all relate to the cheekiness and quirkiness of the animals here.
I'll definitely look forward to watching this with Chicklet.
Tonight, I'm setting myself up to watch the Academy Awards. I may have to record the second half, because it goes til 1.30am and I doubt I'll stay up that late!
So nite all.
Sunday, February 28, 2016
I Feel the Need to Heal
While I'm struggling to get this gum disease under control, I've been doing a bit of research into boosting my immune system to help me heal. I've always been a fast healer, but it seems that my body is struggling with this one.
It has been two weeks since my procedure and I'm still not completely healed. I feel like one specific part of my gum is really fighting off infection, so I need to help my body get stronger.
During the last couple of years I been following a woman called Dr Sarah Ballantyne (PhD) who strictly adheres to the paleo way of living but also needs to follow the Autoimmune Protocol due to a number of health issues.
*The Autoimmune Protocol is a diet that helps heal the immune system and gut mucosa. It is applicable to any inflammatory disease. AIP addresses inflammation in the gut that causes AutoimmuneDisease.*
Aside from those health issues, she was morbidly obese, and through a heavy fitness program and changing her eating habits, has lost a lot of weight.
She does her own scientific research, as well as reading and explaining to the common person, the results of other research and studies.
I recently acquired a copy of her latest book 'The Healing Kitchen' which I need to find time to sit down and read properly - there is so much information to absorb, so I need to commit some time to focus on it.
Nite all.
It has been two weeks since my procedure and I'm still not completely healed. I feel like one specific part of my gum is really fighting off infection, so I need to help my body get stronger.
During the last couple of years I been following a woman called Dr Sarah Ballantyne (PhD) who strictly adheres to the paleo way of living but also needs to follow the Autoimmune Protocol due to a number of health issues.
*The Autoimmune Protocol is a diet that helps heal the immune system and gut mucosa. It is applicable to any inflammatory disease. AIP addresses inflammation in the gut that causes AutoimmuneDisease.*
Aside from those health issues, she was morbidly obese, and through a heavy fitness program and changing her eating habits, has lost a lot of weight.
She does her own scientific research, as well as reading and explaining to the common person, the results of other research and studies.
I recently acquired a copy of her latest book 'The Healing Kitchen' which I need to find time to sit down and read properly - there is so much information to absorb, so I need to commit some time to focus on it.
I'd also like to get a copy of her original book, 'The Paleo Approach Cookbook'. It costs around $60, but I currently have the highest bid of $25 on ebay for a pre-owned copy, so fingers crossed on that one!
While we wait for the outcome of that bid, I thought you might get a good giggle out of this guy ...
Nite all.
Saturday, February 27, 2016
Lessons in Love
I wonder if we need a refresher course in flirting. Are we all still flirting with our husbands? I think that I probably look as silly as this polar bear when I flirt .. hopefully in a cute and attractive kind of way! Maybe my flirting days are over?
I hope this video has helped all you single gals out there as well. Imagine how weird it would be to see girls doing rolling somersaults at night clubs? And sliding face first across the dance floor. Maybe not.
The highlight of my day was making an Indian curry with basmati rice, cucumber yoghurt and pappadums for dinner. It was quite delicious and I made HEAPS so there is enough for another three meals!
Facebook reminded me this morning, of the three course meal that Adoring Husband cooked for me six years ago for Valentines Day. I had been away, so our valentines day was delayed and he spent all day in the kitchen creating a gastronomical delight. It was a flirtatious success!
Prawn and pork rice paper rolls for entree (it had a spicy dipping sauce)
Green salad with bacon, parmesan and a balsamic dressing ..
I will always remember that valentine dinner. It was amazing and memorable!
AH is a great cook.
Have a happy Sunday!
Nite all.
I hope this video has helped all you single gals out there as well. Imagine how weird it would be to see girls doing rolling somersaults at night clubs? And sliding face first across the dance floor. Maybe not.
The highlight of my day was making an Indian curry with basmati rice, cucumber yoghurt and pappadums for dinner. It was quite delicious and I made HEAPS so there is enough for another three meals!
Facebook reminded me this morning, of the three course meal that Adoring Husband cooked for me six years ago for Valentines Day. I had been away, so our valentines day was delayed and he spent all day in the kitchen creating a gastronomical delight. It was a flirtatious success!
Prawn and pork rice paper rolls for entree (it had a spicy dipping sauce)
Home made pasta - Tagliatelle with smoked salmon and asparagus
Green salad with bacon, parmesan and a balsamic dressing ..
Baked lemon cheesecake with fresh strawberries and strawberry coulis ..
AH is a great cook.
Have a happy Sunday!
Nite all.
Friday, February 26, 2016
Windy City
It may become gusty on Saturday!
I hope that they are wrong. Another update posted on facebook today predicts that Winston will reform to a category 1 cyclone and move north along the Queensland coastline.
Ugh.
I had a fairly full day today. I actually got some housework done. My new bedding arrived, so I changed the sheets on the bed and I'm showcasing the new stuff ...
I made a big baked leg of lamb with veg for lunch so that I wouldn't have to put too much effort into dinner after the club tonight.
It's been a good day and a pleasant evening. Now it's time for bed.
Nite all.
I hope that they are wrong. Another update posted on facebook today predicts that Winston will reform to a category 1 cyclone and move north along the Queensland coastline.
Ugh.
I had a fairly full day today. I actually got some housework done. My new bedding arrived, so I changed the sheets on the bed and I'm showcasing the new stuff ...
I made a big baked leg of lamb with veg for lunch so that I wouldn't have to put too much effort into dinner after the club tonight.
It's been a good day and a pleasant evening. Now it's time for bed.
Nite all.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Geographically Shared
Foreign Correspondent, Stan Grant, is a Griffith boy. He lived in the same street (Housing Commission area, Parkinson Crescent) as I did, though not at the same time. My son went to the same school as Stan.
The 'Three Ways', where the majority of the indigenous community lived, was just across the paddock from us and watching this episode of Home Delivery sure brought back some unpleasant memories for me.
It feels strange to me, that when Stan's family was given a housing commission home to live in, they felt like all of their dreams had come true, yet when I, as a single mother with three very young children, was offered a home on the very same street, I felt like my life had become a nightmare.
We lived in that street for three long years from the end of 1988 til early 1992. Our next door neighbour once had a molotov cocktail thrown on his front porch during the night, and there was a siege directly across the road from us, where armed police were hiding behind the trees on our front yard with guns drawn, and the street was blocked by police cars.
We survived on a pension for two of those years. I had some cleaning work to supplement the pension until one day I decided to complete an administration course at TAFE. I immediately snagged work at the CES and within a year, we were able to move into our own home, shabby as it was, in a better area.
Stan has certainly come a long way since his days in Parkinson Cres!! While he feels the happy emotions welling up within as he drives through his old stomping ground, I feel old repressed fears bubbling within, and shame that I ever forced my children to endure that.
It was possibly the lowest point in my life, BUT, at the same time, my circle of friends, which included BGWLBH, provided strong support for me, so I never felt alone in the world.
My parents even gave me the opportunity to move to Blackwater to be closer to them, but my stubborn desire for independence kept me living in the worst street in Griffith for a long time. I believe that it was the right decision for us at the time.
So that is a little snippet of mine and Stan Grant's lives. Though the two of us have never even met, I do know his mate Richard (Ditchy)!
A short trip down memory lane.
Nite all.
The 'Three Ways', where the majority of the indigenous community lived, was just across the paddock from us and watching this episode of Home Delivery sure brought back some unpleasant memories for me.
It feels strange to me, that when Stan's family was given a housing commission home to live in, they felt like all of their dreams had come true, yet when I, as a single mother with three very young children, was offered a home on the very same street, I felt like my life had become a nightmare.
We lived in that street for three long years from the end of 1988 til early 1992. Our next door neighbour once had a molotov cocktail thrown on his front porch during the night, and there was a siege directly across the road from us, where armed police were hiding behind the trees on our front yard with guns drawn, and the street was blocked by police cars.
We survived on a pension for two of those years. I had some cleaning work to supplement the pension until one day I decided to complete an administration course at TAFE. I immediately snagged work at the CES and within a year, we were able to move into our own home, shabby as it was, in a better area.
Stan has certainly come a long way since his days in Parkinson Cres!! While he feels the happy emotions welling up within as he drives through his old stomping ground, I feel old repressed fears bubbling within, and shame that I ever forced my children to endure that.
It was possibly the lowest point in my life, BUT, at the same time, my circle of friends, which included BGWLBH, provided strong support for me, so I never felt alone in the world.
My parents even gave me the opportunity to move to Blackwater to be closer to them, but my stubborn desire for independence kept me living in the worst street in Griffith for a long time. I believe that it was the right decision for us at the time.
So that is a little snippet of mine and Stan Grant's lives. Though the two of us have never even met, I do know his mate Richard (Ditchy)!
A short trip down memory lane.
Nite all.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
For the Ladies
Ok girls, first practise will be Friday night Make-up tricks haha!
It was a nice lunch today at the Chinese restaurant. I would like to go back when I'm able to chew food properly, and order a hearty, meaty meal with lots of crunchy vegetables! Today I had curried king prawns, which was a delicious meal with a nice spicy curry sauce, but I couldn't eat the vegetables.
After lunch, instead of going straight home, we ducked in to the RSL club for a quick flutter and then drove to The Speckled Hen's house for another drink .. or two .. or for some, many many more!
Luckily, Adoring Husband had eaten a big late lunch, so I didn't have to cook tonight. I think I was right on the verge of having had too much to drink today, so I was grateful for the opportunity to plonk myself on the couch and stay there.
I'm now sitting in the same position listening to Sweet singing 'Action' on Foxtel Tunes.
It's definitely time to sleep now, so I'll share this video, which I know that some of you have seen on facebook in the past, but I figured that since we are now in the final week of Summer (yay!!!), the weather might start getting cool enough to open up the scarf drawer!
I do believe I can be in bed before 11pm!
Nite all.
It was a nice lunch today at the Chinese restaurant. I would like to go back when I'm able to chew food properly, and order a hearty, meaty meal with lots of crunchy vegetables! Today I had curried king prawns, which was a delicious meal with a nice spicy curry sauce, but I couldn't eat the vegetables.
After lunch, instead of going straight home, we ducked in to the RSL club for a quick flutter and then drove to The Speckled Hen's house for another drink .. or two .. or for some, many many more!
Luckily, Adoring Husband had eaten a big late lunch, so I didn't have to cook tonight. I think I was right on the verge of having had too much to drink today, so I was grateful for the opportunity to plonk myself on the couch and stay there.
I'm now sitting in the same position listening to Sweet singing 'Action' on Foxtel Tunes.
It's definitely time to sleep now, so I'll share this video, which I know that some of you have seen on facebook in the past, but I figured that since we are now in the final week of Summer (yay!!!), the weather might start getting cool enough to open up the scarf drawer!
I do believe I can be in bed before 11pm!
Nite all.
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
Procrasti-youknowtherest.
Remember how yesterday I said that I would catch up on housework today, so that my lady's luncheon would be the reward?
Well, yeah nah...
I consciously decided to turn on the TV to a music channel - the all Aussie music channel to be exact, and I turned the volume up, fully intending to do housework to the music. Unfortunately, the music had accompanying videos .. it was all over for me!
Videos from back in the 70s, 80s and 90s. John Farnham, ACDC, The Angels, INXS, Jimmy Barnes, Natalie Imbruglia, Split Enz, Noiseworks, Kylie Minogue, Midnight Oil, The Divinyls, Bardot, Delta Goodrem, Australian Crawl, Peter Andre, Human Nature, Paul Kelly, Eurogliders, Little River Band, Deni Hines and the list goes on.
There is no way that I could walk away from that!
I spent a good hour in the lounge room dancing like a teenager. Head banging. Bouncing around the room and singing loudly (and badly). It was probably more than an hour. You know how time flies when you're having fun!
Then Adoring Husband arrived home from his SES meeting and the fun was over.
I got all of my washing done.
I've had the mini upright freezer defrosting all day - and I mean 'all day'. It only has four drawers, but the top two drawers have been frozen shut for months. All of the meat in the top two drawers has now been tossed and after eight hours, the freezer is finally turned back on and the door closed.
I cooked a dozen apple and walnut muffins and a dozen gooey chocolate mini cakes.
For dinner, I was done with the kitchen so I took a beef stroganoff out of the freezer and heated that up for Adoring Husband's dinner. I took a spoon of the sauce and some mushrooms out of the mixture and had that with a piece of zucchini.
For dessert, I gave AH two gooey chocolate cakes with crumbled freeze dried strawberries sprinkled over the top and then covered in whipped cream and shredded organic dark chocolate. Can you believe that he then asked for an apple and walnut muffin as well???? I swear he has no 'full' button!
That's about the long and short of my day.
Very much looking forward to lady's luncheon tomorrow!
Nite all.
Well, yeah nah...
I consciously decided to turn on the TV to a music channel - the all Aussie music channel to be exact, and I turned the volume up, fully intending to do housework to the music. Unfortunately, the music had accompanying videos .. it was all over for me!
Videos from back in the 70s, 80s and 90s. John Farnham, ACDC, The Angels, INXS, Jimmy Barnes, Natalie Imbruglia, Split Enz, Noiseworks, Kylie Minogue, Midnight Oil, The Divinyls, Bardot, Delta Goodrem, Australian Crawl, Peter Andre, Human Nature, Paul Kelly, Eurogliders, Little River Band, Deni Hines and the list goes on.
There is no way that I could walk away from that!
I spent a good hour in the lounge room dancing like a teenager. Head banging. Bouncing around the room and singing loudly (and badly). It was probably more than an hour. You know how time flies when you're having fun!
Then Adoring Husband arrived home from his SES meeting and the fun was over.
I got all of my washing done.
I've had the mini upright freezer defrosting all day - and I mean 'all day'. It only has four drawers, but the top two drawers have been frozen shut for months. All of the meat in the top two drawers has now been tossed and after eight hours, the freezer is finally turned back on and the door closed.
I cooked a dozen apple and walnut muffins and a dozen gooey chocolate mini cakes.
For dinner, I was done with the kitchen so I took a beef stroganoff out of the freezer and heated that up for Adoring Husband's dinner. I took a spoon of the sauce and some mushrooms out of the mixture and had that with a piece of zucchini.
For dessert, I gave AH two gooey chocolate cakes with crumbled freeze dried strawberries sprinkled over the top and then covered in whipped cream and shredded organic dark chocolate. Can you believe that he then asked for an apple and walnut muffin as well???? I swear he has no 'full' button!
That's about the long and short of my day.
Very much looking forward to lady's luncheon tomorrow!
Nite all.
Monday, February 22, 2016
Time Will Tell
I have come to the realisation that my mouth is going to take a bit more time to heal properly.
The dental work was quite invasive and extensive and it will take time and diligence to bring it all to optimum health.
My gums feel a little damaged, so I've decided to return to foods that don't require chewing, to give them a rest and a chance to strengthen and heal.
I need to be patient.
I can't wait to tell you about my bingo experience today!
Once upon a time, more than ten years ago, bingo was a regular activity for BGWLBH and I. We would play a couple of times each week in the evenings and during school holidays, if I took my annual leave at the same time, we would play during the day as well.
The prizes, where we played, were meat trays, fruit and veg trays, vouchers for the local butcher or supermarket, vouchers for the club restaurant or free bingo tickets. Legally, they weren't allowed to offer money as prizes.
We used paper booklets of bingo tickets, with dobbers, which were plastic bottles of ink with a spongy end that we dabbed the numbers with as they were called. I had a hand made timber box with a lid that I used to store my dobbers. The box was shaped like a wedge and I used a butterfly clip to hold the tickets to the box as I played.
That was back in the old days.
Today was certainly an eye opener as far as advances in the world of bingo are concerned!
These days, they used electronic devices that look similar to a tablet or iPad and either your finger or rubber tipped stylus pens to touch the numbers as they were called.
The sheet on the left shows all of the games. Each card has two games eg a short game to win the first prize of the card and then the full card to win another prize. The prizes were pretty good too .. $20 for the short game and $40 for the full card.
The first game of the day is worth $500 if you get the full card within 50 calls.
This machine shows two bingo game cards at a time (I think there are 5 cards for each game) and keeps the others in the background. As you mark off the numbers, it automatically brings the two cards with the most numbers marked off, to the front screen.
The other crazy thing, is that it gives you a signal when you have one number left to win. The screen changes to a happy man that looks like an M&M and flashes the number that you are waiting for.
Unfortunately, I didn't win today, and I only got down to one number once .. so at least I got to see my little M&M man on the screen .. I did win a $2 scratchy in the break when they drew the raffle prizes, so I guess that's a bonus. I haven't scratched it yet, so I could be rich and not even know it!
It was a pleasant and different way to spend a Monday morning and when bingo was finished, we met up with Reality TV Queen, Speckled Hen and Party Pat for lunch. I selected slow cooked roast beef and vegetables from the menu. It was ok.
Tomorrow will be spent catching up on some housework, so that I can reward myself with the lady's luncheon on Wednesday.
February is quickly coming to an end, and as scary as that seems (because it feels like new year was just yesterday!), it means that Summer is also coming to an end! We can all breathe a sigh of relief as the weather cools down and we can live in comfort again.
Nite all.
The dental work was quite invasive and extensive and it will take time and diligence to bring it all to optimum health.
My gums feel a little damaged, so I've decided to return to foods that don't require chewing, to give them a rest and a chance to strengthen and heal.
I need to be patient.
I can't wait to tell you about my bingo experience today!
Once upon a time, more than ten years ago, bingo was a regular activity for BGWLBH and I. We would play a couple of times each week in the evenings and during school holidays, if I took my annual leave at the same time, we would play during the day as well.
The prizes, where we played, were meat trays, fruit and veg trays, vouchers for the local butcher or supermarket, vouchers for the club restaurant or free bingo tickets. Legally, they weren't allowed to offer money as prizes.
We used paper booklets of bingo tickets, with dobbers, which were plastic bottles of ink with a spongy end that we dabbed the numbers with as they were called. I had a hand made timber box with a lid that I used to store my dobbers. The box was shaped like a wedge and I used a butterfly clip to hold the tickets to the box as I played.
That was back in the old days.
Today was certainly an eye opener as far as advances in the world of bingo are concerned!
These days, they used electronic devices that look similar to a tablet or iPad and either your finger or rubber tipped stylus pens to touch the numbers as they were called.
The sheet on the left shows all of the games. Each card has two games eg a short game to win the first prize of the card and then the full card to win another prize. The prizes were pretty good too .. $20 for the short game and $40 for the full card.
The first game of the day is worth $500 if you get the full card within 50 calls.
This machine shows two bingo game cards at a time (I think there are 5 cards for each game) and keeps the others in the background. As you mark off the numbers, it automatically brings the two cards with the most numbers marked off, to the front screen.
The other crazy thing, is that it gives you a signal when you have one number left to win. The screen changes to a happy man that looks like an M&M and flashes the number that you are waiting for.
Unfortunately, I didn't win today, and I only got down to one number once .. so at least I got to see my little M&M man on the screen .. I did win a $2 scratchy in the break when they drew the raffle prizes, so I guess that's a bonus. I haven't scratched it yet, so I could be rich and not even know it!
It was a pleasant and different way to spend a Monday morning and when bingo was finished, we met up with Reality TV Queen, Speckled Hen and Party Pat for lunch. I selected slow cooked roast beef and vegetables from the menu. It was ok.
Tomorrow will be spent catching up on some housework, so that I can reward myself with the lady's luncheon on Wednesday.
February is quickly coming to an end, and as scary as that seems (because it feels like new year was just yesterday!), it means that Summer is also coming to an end! We can all breathe a sigh of relief as the weather cools down and we can live in comfort again.
Nite all.
Sunday, February 21, 2016
Diligence is Required
My fraction of an 'ugh' has now grown to a full 'ugh'.
I have not been as diligent with my mouth rinsing today because the pain had gone this morning. I only rinsed with the peroxide once this morning (it really tastes gross!) and by about 5pm, my gums felt inflamed and tender again.
Obviously, I need to continue my full rinsing regime for a while yet ie oil pulling, peroxide and colloidal silver.
I've had a reasonably busy day, starting with a ride to the Seat of Knowledge, followed by coffee with The Blond Bombshell and Reality TV Queen, then rode home to put some lamb shanks in the slow cooker and prepare the vegetables to be cooked later. This afternoon I rode over to Woman of Many Talents' house for a couple of wines before she went out for dinner.
When I'd been there for about an hour, Reality TV Queen also joined us for a drink.
I arrived home in time to finish preparing dinner.
I really loved this today ...
Now, I can't believe that it's already midnight! I'm off to bingo tomorrow and I'm being picked up early in the morning, so I'd best get my healing beauty sleep!
Nite all.
I have not been as diligent with my mouth rinsing today because the pain had gone this morning. I only rinsed with the peroxide once this morning (it really tastes gross!) and by about 5pm, my gums felt inflamed and tender again.
Obviously, I need to continue my full rinsing regime for a while yet ie oil pulling, peroxide and colloidal silver.
I've had a reasonably busy day, starting with a ride to the Seat of Knowledge, followed by coffee with The Blond Bombshell and Reality TV Queen, then rode home to put some lamb shanks in the slow cooker and prepare the vegetables to be cooked later. This afternoon I rode over to Woman of Many Talents' house for a couple of wines before she went out for dinner.
When I'd been there for about an hour, Reality TV Queen also joined us for a drink.
I arrived home in time to finish preparing dinner.
I really loved this today ...
Now, I can't believe that it's already midnight! I'm off to bingo tomorrow and I'm being picked up early in the morning, so I'd best get my healing beauty sleep!
Nite all.
Saturday, February 20, 2016
Just a Fraction
There is still a fraction of an 'ugh' in my mouth. Just enough to be distracting.
It should be gone tomorrow.
I have nothing to share about my day, but I thought this video was a hoot! I hope it puts a smile on your face too.
I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
It should be gone tomorrow.
I have nothing to share about my day, but I thought this video was a hoot! I hope it puts a smile on your face too.
I'm off to bed.
Nite all.
Friday, February 19, 2016
I See The Light!
Finally! Today was drug free and I feel like I am, at last, on the mend and healing beautifully. I will give today just one 'Ugh' and I expect to be 'Ugh' free from here on in.
I still kept it quiet. A trike ride to the Seat of Knowledge and then a trip to my local for coffee, but the rest of the day was spent on the couch with air conditioning and the fan keeping me cool.
I actually got to eat meat today (mince) and I can't tell you how satisfying that was! I am SO OVER fluids and smooth food that doesn't require chewing!
Only four of us at the club tonight, so it was quiet, intimate and lovely.
It's after 10pm and I'm off to bed for another early-ish night. One more good night of sleep should bring me to the height of health!
I wanted to share these colour charts with you. It's always fun redecorating .. even if it's just one corner of one room. These tips on colour can make all the difference.
The ultimate color combinations cheat sheet:
I hope that tomorrow, I can fall back into my routine and maybe get stuff done, instead of sitting on the couch feeling sorry for myself!
Nite all.
'via Blog this'
I still kept it quiet. A trike ride to the Seat of Knowledge and then a trip to my local for coffee, but the rest of the day was spent on the couch with air conditioning and the fan keeping me cool.
I actually got to eat meat today (mince) and I can't tell you how satisfying that was! I am SO OVER fluids and smooth food that doesn't require chewing!
Only four of us at the club tonight, so it was quiet, intimate and lovely.
It's after 10pm and I'm off to bed for another early-ish night. One more good night of sleep should bring me to the height of health!
I wanted to share these colour charts with you. It's always fun redecorating .. even if it's just one corner of one room. These tips on colour can make all the difference.
The ultimate color combinations cheat sheet:
I hope that tomorrow, I can fall back into my routine and maybe get stuff done, instead of sitting on the couch feeling sorry for myself!
Nite all.
'via Blog this'
Thursday, February 18, 2016
Misery Guts
It's more than one, but less than two 'ughs' today.
My 'ughs' are not reducing quickly enough for my liking. Even the outside of my jaw is hurting a little today, and I feel like I've had a permanent frown for three days, but worst of all, the last three days have felt like seven days! I can't believe that it's only been three days!!
I walked out of the dental surgery at 3.45pm on Monday, so Monday was pretty much finished and it's now Thursday 8.33pm.
Time flies when you're having fun, but it sure drags when you're not!
I am sitting in my lounge room as a huge storm is passing over us. Very heavy rain and plenty of thunder and lightning. I don't know if there is wind because I can't see outside and I'm not stepping outside to find out. It sounds windy lol, but it shouldn't last too much longer .. not by the BOM indications anyway!
I have a glass, or should I say 'bucket', of wine beside me which I'm hoping will ease the mouth pain as well as ease the storm stress.
It's now 9.20pm and it feels like the storm has passed. Just some rumbling in the distance.
It has been a quiet day at home for me, riding out the healing process, so I'm afraid this is just another whinging post. Woe is me. Poor me. Feel sorry for me. It's all about me.
Thank you to Adoring Husband for continuing to give me love and sympathy and TLC. Also a big thank you for being a great plumber and fixing the blocked kitchen sinks at minimal cost to us. It's good to be married to a jack of all trades!
Well, I guess it's another early-ish night for me. Let's hope I wake up with less 'ughs' on my description list.
Nite all.
My 'ughs' are not reducing quickly enough for my liking. Even the outside of my jaw is hurting a little today, and I feel like I've had a permanent frown for three days, but worst of all, the last three days have felt like seven days! I can't believe that it's only been three days!!
I walked out of the dental surgery at 3.45pm on Monday, so Monday was pretty much finished and it's now Thursday 8.33pm.
Time flies when you're having fun, but it sure drags when you're not!
I am sitting in my lounge room as a huge storm is passing over us. Very heavy rain and plenty of thunder and lightning. I don't know if there is wind because I can't see outside and I'm not stepping outside to find out. It sounds windy lol, but it shouldn't last too much longer .. not by the BOM indications anyway!
I have a glass, or should I say 'bucket', of wine beside me which I'm hoping will ease the mouth pain as well as ease the storm stress.
It's now 9.20pm and it feels like the storm has passed. Just some rumbling in the distance.
It has been a quiet day at home for me, riding out the healing process, so I'm afraid this is just another whinging post. Woe is me. Poor me. Feel sorry for me. It's all about me.
Thank you to Adoring Husband for continuing to give me love and sympathy and TLC. Also a big thank you for being a great plumber and fixing the blocked kitchen sinks at minimal cost to us. It's good to be married to a jack of all trades!
Well, I guess it's another early-ish night for me. Let's hope I wake up with less 'ughs' on my description list.
Nite all.
Wednesday, February 17, 2016
Still Complaining
I'm still on the 2 x 'ughs'.
I'm still swollen and sore and tender and feeling sorry for myself. I'm OVER it.
I've upped my infection prevention strategy by increasing the frequency of oil pulling, gargling peroxide water, swishing colloidal silver and today I've made up a jar of Himalayan salt wash to rinse with too.
Since Sunday lunch time (it's now Wednesday night), my belly has welcomed coffee, bone broth, home made berry and pear sorbet and tonight my wonderful Adoring Husband made me some pureed pumpkin, sweet potato and potato and some finely ground mince with cauliflower sauce.
I desperately needed something solid and satisfying, and even though he complained that it looked like 'nursing home food', it was delicious and full of flavour and exactly what the doctor ordered. I ate so much, I'm still feeling stuffed, two hours later!!!
I had a lovely time with the ladies for morning tea and had plenty of endorphins pumping through me while Reality TV Queen had us all laughing uproariously at her's and her friend's drinking antics over the last five days. She is hilarious!
AH and I were planning on going to the movies this afternoon, to see "The Big Short", but I wasn't feeling chipper enough to sit through a drama for two hours, so unfortunately, even though today was it's final viewing, we have to wait for it to come out on dvd (or Foxtel) in May.
It has some big names in it like Marisa Tomei, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Selena Gomez and many many more.
I've been waiting for this movie to be shown and I can't believe it's been on for four weeks and I missed it!!
I received a phone call from Number One Son this afternoon too! He has a lot happening in his life right now, so there was some catching up to do.
Instead of movie-going, I spent the day watching all the TV shows that AH recorded for me while I was away. I needed a pain killer this afternoon and I will have another one before I go to sleep tonight .. which will be very soon.
I need another early night to help my body heal.
So ... nite all.
I'm still swollen and sore and tender and feeling sorry for myself. I'm OVER it.
I've upped my infection prevention strategy by increasing the frequency of oil pulling, gargling peroxide water, swishing colloidal silver and today I've made up a jar of Himalayan salt wash to rinse with too.
Since Sunday lunch time (it's now Wednesday night), my belly has welcomed coffee, bone broth, home made berry and pear sorbet and tonight my wonderful Adoring Husband made me some pureed pumpkin, sweet potato and potato and some finely ground mince with cauliflower sauce.
I desperately needed something solid and satisfying, and even though he complained that it looked like 'nursing home food', it was delicious and full of flavour and exactly what the doctor ordered. I ate so much, I'm still feeling stuffed, two hours later!!!
I had a lovely time with the ladies for morning tea and had plenty of endorphins pumping through me while Reality TV Queen had us all laughing uproariously at her's and her friend's drinking antics over the last five days. She is hilarious!
AH and I were planning on going to the movies this afternoon, to see "The Big Short", but I wasn't feeling chipper enough to sit through a drama for two hours, so unfortunately, even though today was it's final viewing, we have to wait for it to come out on dvd (or Foxtel) in May.
It has some big names in it like Marisa Tomei, Brad Pitt, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Selena Gomez and many many more.
I've been waiting for this movie to be shown and I can't believe it's been on for four weeks and I missed it!!
I received a phone call from Number One Son this afternoon too! He has a lot happening in his life right now, so there was some catching up to do.
Instead of movie-going, I spent the day watching all the TV shows that AH recorded for me while I was away. I needed a pain killer this afternoon and I will have another one before I go to sleep tonight .. which will be very soon.
I need another early night to help my body heal.
So ... nite all.
Tuesday, February 16, 2016
2 x Ugh!
Yesterday's pain and discomfort was worthy of three 'ughs', but today's discomfort surprisingly started out with half an 'ugh' and is unfortunately finishing with two 'ughs'.
My dentist did warn me that this would be the case, but I still haven't resorted to pain killers and I am using my golden inner light of healing, accompanied by fabulous music from the 60s, 70s and 80s to speed up the healing process.
Last night, when the pain got bad enough that I strongly considered asking Vegan Chickie for some drugs, I decided to horizontal dance the pain away.
I found a free app for my phone, which provides live streaming from any radio station in Australia. My favourite radio station, for as long as I can remember, has been 2CA, a Canberra station that plays amazing music from my era and also has stints thirty minutes long of ad-free music.
So I got my ear pods out, turned off the light and cranked up the music and danced while lying on the bed for a full thirty minutes. Surprisingly, it eased the pain considerably! It must have been the endorphins! My legs and arms haven't seen so much action since I played squash in the 90s! After about thirty minutes, I fell into a sound sleep.
Vegan Chickie even delivered some pain killers to my bedroom without me stirring. They were still on the bed beside me when I woke in the morning.
After an uneventful train trip home, I am sleeping in my own bed tonight and I don't think Adoring Husband will tolerate me dancing in the bed, so if listening to the music isn't enough to dull the pain, I may have to resort to drugs.
It will definitely be an early night again for me, so ...
Nite all.
My dentist did warn me that this would be the case, but I still haven't resorted to pain killers and I am using my golden inner light of healing, accompanied by fabulous music from the 60s, 70s and 80s to speed up the healing process.
Last night, when the pain got bad enough that I strongly considered asking Vegan Chickie for some drugs, I decided to horizontal dance the pain away.
I found a free app for my phone, which provides live streaming from any radio station in Australia. My favourite radio station, for as long as I can remember, has been 2CA, a Canberra station that plays amazing music from my era and also has stints thirty minutes long of ad-free music.
So I got my ear pods out, turned off the light and cranked up the music and danced while lying on the bed for a full thirty minutes. Surprisingly, it eased the pain considerably! It must have been the endorphins! My legs and arms haven't seen so much action since I played squash in the 90s! After about thirty minutes, I fell into a sound sleep.
Vegan Chickie even delivered some pain killers to my bedroom without me stirring. They were still on the bed beside me when I woke in the morning.
After an uneventful train trip home, I am sleeping in my own bed tonight and I don't think Adoring Husband will tolerate me dancing in the bed, so if listening to the music isn't enough to dull the pain, I may have to resort to drugs.
It will definitely be an early night again for me, so ...
Nite all.
Monday, February 15, 2016
Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!
I am here briefly to say that I had seriously nasty and extensive dental work done today and I am feeling very miserable and sorry for myself.
It is 7pm and the numbing agent has worn off.
Groan.
Moan.
Ugh.
That is all.
Nite all.
It is 7pm and the numbing agent has worn off.
Groan.
Moan.
Ugh.
That is all.
Nite all.
Sunday, February 14, 2016
A Learning Curve
Well, that was a hell of a learning curve!!
I've never made a video before. I had no idea how to share it on my devices (iPhone, iPad and Macbook Pro) therefore I had never uploaded my own video here, and therefore I had no idea about the google rules for the size of videos allowed and therefore I had no idea how to reduce the video in size so that it would be accepted here.
I've had to cut the video in half so that it wasn't too big to post here.
My brain hurts. I'm not quite celebrating because, as I write this, it hasn't finished uploading yet!
I've never made a video before. I had no idea how to share it on my devices (iPhone, iPad and Macbook Pro) therefore I had never uploaded my own video here, and therefore I had no idea about the google rules for the size of videos allowed and therefore I had no idea how to reduce the video in size so that it would be accepted here.
I've had to cut the video in half so that it wasn't too big to post here.
My brain hurts. I'm not quite celebrating because, as I write this, it hasn't finished uploading yet!
The day of Chicklet's birthday was wonderful. She loved all of her gifts and played with each and every one of them all day long.
She received a dragon costume and a unicorn costume, a tent/sleeping bag and pillow with dinosaurs on them, Dorothy the dinosaur and Henry the octopus dolls, a bubble blower, a tea set with dinosaurs, a skipping rope, a book, some stickers, a box of flowers and an unrecognisable dragon cake.
We spent all day playing with her toys. Mama, Dadu, Adoring Husband and I, all playing tag team to share the excitement and playtime. I'm sure that Adoring Husband must have been exhausted, having driven for two hours to see Chicklet, then spent a couple of hours playing silly balloon games with her, then driving home again after midday.
We loved having him here and loved that he made such an effort, especially considering the huge three days he'd had with SES duties prior to yesterday.
At the end of the day, Chicklet had a blast wandering through the house with a button pin, bursting all of the balloons (111 of them), while Mama removed the dinosaur and dragon stickers off the wall. By 7pm, you would never have known that it had been somebody's birthday!
We took it quietly today.
Vegan Chickie and I had coffee and breakfast snacks at Zabe coffee shop this morning while Dadu and Chicklet had time together. We did some grocery shopping before coming home and I made a baked chicken and veg lunch.
I spent most of the afternoon in bed with an unhappy tummy, while Chicklet came and in and out at various times to check on me.
Tomorrow is my big dental appointment. I can't even remember what I'm having done, but I do know that I should get a good night's sleep so that I can cope with whatever is in store!
Nite all.
The Birthday Girl
It's just too late to do a full blog post tonight. I have tried, to no avail, sharing the video that I took of Chicklet seeing her birthday decorations for the first time this morning. I will have another attempt tomorrow. Fingers crossed.
The day has been amazing and Chicklet says "It's the best birthday EVER!" so that's gotta be a bonus!
Adoring Husband even drove down for a few hours and got to sing happy birthday before he headed back home.
I will write more about it tomorrow and hopefully have a couple more pics to share.
Meanwhile, sleep time for me.
Nite all.
The day has been amazing and Chicklet says "It's the best birthday EVER!" so that's gotta be a bonus!
Adoring Husband even drove down for a few hours and got to sing happy birthday before he headed back home.
I will write more about it tomorrow and hopefully have a couple more pics to share.
Meanwhile, sleep time for me.
Nite all.
Friday, February 12, 2016
A Slight Slip Up
Yesterday's post was actually completed last night, but it must have been so late that my brain was half asleep and I forgot to hit 'send'!! So this means you will get a double post in one day today.
Today was Chicklet's last day of being a four year old, so we said goodbye to the fervid fours with a bang at Aussie World.
What a fantastic theme park! There are more than 30 rides there catering to all different age groups and the staff are fabulous. They all appear to love their jobs and want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for not just the kids, but the adults too.
I guess we picked the best time to go, being outside school holidays, because even though there were still plenty of people about, there were no queues for the rides and plenty of tables and seats available when we wanted a break, or when The Bare-chested Chef was on ride duty with Chicklet.
It was a perfect day. The temperature was mild, with a bit of cloud in the sky, a few very light misty showers and a cooling breeze, so we were comfortable all day.
I haven't been on a show ride (aside from the dodgems way back in the late 80s) since I was 15 yrs old when I rode the Wild Mouse at the Brisbane Exhibition. That ride scared the pants off me and I was never tempted to go on another ride ever again!
Today I rode the dodgems and the bizzy buggies and then sat in the Voyager Simulator for the 'terror on ice' ride. Thank god it was a simulator - just that knowledge removed the fear - the real thing would have done me in!
We walked through Professor Boggleworth's Illusionarium which was amazing! So well done!
We played four holes of the 18 holes of mini golf. Four holes was the best that Chicklet could deal with - the attendant was kind enough to give her a 'hold in one' certificate when we left.
The sideshow alley was a success with Chicklet playing the laughing clowns and the ducks, winning a giant ball, an orange lobster, an orange monkey and a hand held game with water inside and buttons to push.
We ate upstairs in the pub restaurant. I ordered a spinach and roast pumpkin salad with feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes. I added atlantic salmon and the meal was so big that I asked for doggy bag to go. I had some for dinner tonight and there was STILL some left over! It was very nice and even though it cost $27.90, I got two meals out of it, so it was actually a bargain.
After lunch, Chicklet and Vegan Chickie rode the carousel, which didn't do Vegan Chickie much good with a belly full of food. About five minutes after the ride, she was feeling very much the worse for wear and had to lie down on one of the bench seats while Dadu and Chicklet went into the water park.
The rest did her good, and by the time we were ready to leave, about an hour later, she was feeling much better.
We left Aussie World and headed to the fudge shop for some gelato ice cream before we drove home. I had a little cup of vanilla with raspberry and white chocolate. Luckily, vanilla is my favourite ice cream, because there wasn't much raspberry or white chocolate in it.
We left home at about 9.30 this morning and returned at 4pm. It was a big day! Thoroughly enjoyable and worth every penny spent.
As soon as Chicklet fell asleep tonight, we got to work blowing up balloons and decorating the walls with dragons and dinosaurs. There are dinosaur footprints on the floor and inflatable dinosaurs under the balloons. The gifts are on the coffee table and I can't wait to see her face in the morning!
On that note, I'd best get some sleep so that I can be bright and breezy in the morning!
Nite all.
Today was Chicklet's last day of being a four year old, so we said goodbye to the fervid fours with a bang at Aussie World.
What a fantastic theme park! There are more than 30 rides there catering to all different age groups and the staff are fabulous. They all appear to love their jobs and want to make the experience as enjoyable as possible for not just the kids, but the adults too.
I guess we picked the best time to go, being outside school holidays, because even though there were still plenty of people about, there were no queues for the rides and plenty of tables and seats available when we wanted a break, or when The Bare-chested Chef was on ride duty with Chicklet.
It was a perfect day. The temperature was mild, with a bit of cloud in the sky, a few very light misty showers and a cooling breeze, so we were comfortable all day.
I haven't been on a show ride (aside from the dodgems way back in the late 80s) since I was 15 yrs old when I rode the Wild Mouse at the Brisbane Exhibition. That ride scared the pants off me and I was never tempted to go on another ride ever again!
Today I rode the dodgems and the bizzy buggies and then sat in the Voyager Simulator for the 'terror on ice' ride. Thank god it was a simulator - just that knowledge removed the fear - the real thing would have done me in!
We walked through Professor Boggleworth's Illusionarium which was amazing! So well done!
We played four holes of the 18 holes of mini golf. Four holes was the best that Chicklet could deal with - the attendant was kind enough to give her a 'hold in one' certificate when we left.
The sideshow alley was a success with Chicklet playing the laughing clowns and the ducks, winning a giant ball, an orange lobster, an orange monkey and a hand held game with water inside and buttons to push.
We ate upstairs in the pub restaurant. I ordered a spinach and roast pumpkin salad with feta cheese and sun dried tomatoes. I added atlantic salmon and the meal was so big that I asked for doggy bag to go. I had some for dinner tonight and there was STILL some left over! It was very nice and even though it cost $27.90, I got two meals out of it, so it was actually a bargain.
After lunch, Chicklet and Vegan Chickie rode the carousel, which didn't do Vegan Chickie much good with a belly full of food. About five minutes after the ride, she was feeling very much the worse for wear and had to lie down on one of the bench seats while Dadu and Chicklet went into the water park.
The rest did her good, and by the time we were ready to leave, about an hour later, she was feeling much better.
We left Aussie World and headed to the fudge shop for some gelato ice cream before we drove home. I had a little cup of vanilla with raspberry and white chocolate. Luckily, vanilla is my favourite ice cream, because there wasn't much raspberry or white chocolate in it.
We left home at about 9.30 this morning and returned at 4pm. It was a big day! Thoroughly enjoyable and worth every penny spent.
As soon as Chicklet fell asleep tonight, we got to work blowing up balloons and decorating the walls with dragons and dinosaurs. There are dinosaur footprints on the floor and inflatable dinosaurs under the balloons. The gifts are on the coffee table and I can't wait to see her face in the morning!
On that note, I'd best get some sleep so that I can be bright and breezy in the morning!
Nite all.
Thank you Driver
Woman of Many Talents was kind enough to drive me to the Sunny Coast this morning, even though her original reason for coming down here was cancelled out at the last minute, she kindly honoured her commitment to me and drove for more than two hours to bring me to my destination.
I did not know this until we were already on our way, otherwise I would have organised to catch the later train today. I feel guilty that she had to make this trip for no reason. She decided to spend the day with her Mum and then drive back tomorrow morning in time to work at 10am. I need to buy her a thank you gift. I will think of something special.
It was a very pleasant drive down and at the same time a great two hours catching up on our news together.
She pulled into the Chicklet family driveway at about 9.15am.
After she drove away, I unpacked my suitcase and settled in with Chicklet, squeezing in some play time before we headed to the supermarket to do a decent sized shop. We bought some coffee before we drove home and Chicklet babysat me while Mama and Dadu went to the movies to see 'Zoolander'.
Vegan Chickie loved the movie. It's on my bucket list for this month, along with 'The Big Short'.
So Chicklet and I had a lovely afternoon playing together. She was the Vet, while I brought all of my pets to her for consultations. Surprisingly, she was very sneaky and did things to my pets that I didn't know about until I visited her in her vet's office.
My big dog, Choco, had a tiny dog carry case stuck inside his ear. Dr Chicklet was a miracle worker and fixed the problem immediately.
My pet dinosaur, Snap, had a marble stuck in the back of his mouth. Thank goodness Dr Chicklet was able to discover the problem quickly and Snap was feeling his old self in no time.
My two miniature pups needed yellow bandaids to fix their 'owies'.
My hairy crocodile, Crocky, needed to stay overnight to recover from his ordeal.
My dog, Crazy Ruby (my favourite) also had to stay overnight and I was terribly distressed about leaving her there, so Dr Chicklet drew me a picture of Crazy Ruby to bring home with me, so that I wouldn't miss her too much...
What a kind doctor she was!
We also played marbles, drew pictures, made sticker art, played the Minion game, watched Caspar the Friendly Ghost and some of a Care Bears show.
It's been a big day, and tomorrow is going to be even bigger, so I'd best get some sleep!
Nite all.
I did not know this until we were already on our way, otherwise I would have organised to catch the later train today. I feel guilty that she had to make this trip for no reason. She decided to spend the day with her Mum and then drive back tomorrow morning in time to work at 10am. I need to buy her a thank you gift. I will think of something special.
It was a very pleasant drive down and at the same time a great two hours catching up on our news together.
She pulled into the Chicklet family driveway at about 9.15am.
After she drove away, I unpacked my suitcase and settled in with Chicklet, squeezing in some play time before we headed to the supermarket to do a decent sized shop. We bought some coffee before we drove home and Chicklet babysat me while Mama and Dadu went to the movies to see 'Zoolander'.
Vegan Chickie loved the movie. It's on my bucket list for this month, along with 'The Big Short'.
So Chicklet and I had a lovely afternoon playing together. She was the Vet, while I brought all of my pets to her for consultations. Surprisingly, she was very sneaky and did things to my pets that I didn't know about until I visited her in her vet's office.
My big dog, Choco, had a tiny dog carry case stuck inside his ear. Dr Chicklet was a miracle worker and fixed the problem immediately.
My pet dinosaur, Snap, had a marble stuck in the back of his mouth. Thank goodness Dr Chicklet was able to discover the problem quickly and Snap was feeling his old self in no time.
My two miniature pups needed yellow bandaids to fix their 'owies'.
My hairy crocodile, Crocky, needed to stay overnight to recover from his ordeal.
My dog, Crazy Ruby (my favourite) also had to stay overnight and I was terribly distressed about leaving her there, so Dr Chicklet drew me a picture of Crazy Ruby to bring home with me, so that I wouldn't miss her too much...
What a kind doctor she was!
We also played marbles, drew pictures, made sticker art, played the Minion game, watched Caspar the Friendly Ghost and some of a Care Bears show.
It's been a big day, and tomorrow is going to be even bigger, so I'd best get some sleep!
Nite all.
Wednesday, February 10, 2016
Procrastinators Unite!
I am the Queen of Procrastination! You all know that!
A month ago, Vegan Chickie sent me Chicklet's birthday wish list. The list had four items on it, with a vague possible fifth.
A Cheetah Toy
Sleeping Bag
A Skipping Rope
A Tea Set with Dinosaurs on it (not plastic because the last one cracked)
(At the moment, she is in love with Ninja Turtles, if that helps)
At the time, I was very excited to have the list so early and planned on either researching the items online or searching around The Bay.
Chicklet's birthday is this Saturday and I am heading down there tomorrow morning, so after procrastinating for almost a month, I dragged Adoring Husband into The Bay today, on a birthday gift reconnaissance.
I do my best work under pressure!
Our first stop was Toy World.
As we entered the building, there was a box of skipping ropes on sale, so I immediately grabbed one.
AH asked at the counter "Do you have any children's sleeping bags?" Their reply was "No."
I decided that I would have a look around anyway and see what they had in the way of dinosaurs and cheetahs.
We checked out the dinosaurs and the only one I really liked was a remote control dinosaur which cost $200, but it was suitable for a much older age group and cost more than we expected to spend, so we continued browsing.
I began searching the outer walls of the warehouse-sized shop. Junior lego tables, trikes, scooters, blackboards, teenage mutant ninja turtle sewer tents, pool toys ... then suddenly ... wait for it ... a combination tent, sleeping bag and pillow covered in a dinosaur pattern!!!! *happy dance*
AH removed it from the shelf and headed towards the check-out. "Wait!" I called out "I want to check their tea sets!"
I walked into the very next aisle and there in front of me, was a white ceramic tea set! I imagined a few dinosaur stickers strategically placed and decided it was perfect!
At the check out, there was a bonus when we learned that our purchases were on sale at 20% off! Yay!
Toy World didn't have any dinosaur stickers, so our next mission was to find some stickers small enough to fit comfortably on the very small tea set.
BIG W was our next stop, where AH immediately found the perfect dinosaur stickers required for the job at hand.
So, with time of the essence, we had the perfect gifts all in the space of thirty minutes!! Amazing!!
During our shopping, AH received a phone call from the SES for an emergency callout. He initially decided not to rush home for it, but as we drove past the SES shed, the group were still preparing the boat and other equipment, so he decided to join them after all.
He drove me and the goodies home, quickly dressed in uniform and rushed off to join the search for a young man who had fallen into the river at Maryborough after a possible seizure.
My first priority was to wrap the birthday gifts. I had some plain brown wrapping paper, so I wrapped both gifts in that and decorated them with my own handy work.
The first one I wrote her name in big puffy letters and drew peace signs, flowers, hearts and dinosaurs on it. For the second gift, I used the remaining dinosaur stickers to spell her name across the package.
Pretty happy with that!
Next on the agenda, was packing my suitcase - just a small one because I have clothes already down there, but I had brought some of them home last time, so they need to be returned. I have a new book to read, a few pieces of jewellery, my iPad, laptop and lastly, my toiletries.
Too easy.
I did a load of washing, removed the inedible food from the fridge and gave it a quick clean and lastly, cooked up half a dozen chicken thighs for AH to nibble on for the next couple of days.
So I reckon everything is pretty much under control.
See!? I told you I do my best work under pressure!
Nite all.
A month ago, Vegan Chickie sent me Chicklet's birthday wish list. The list had four items on it, with a vague possible fifth.
A Cheetah Toy
Sleeping Bag
A Skipping Rope
A Tea Set with Dinosaurs on it (not plastic because the last one cracked)
(At the moment, she is in love with Ninja Turtles, if that helps)
At the time, I was very excited to have the list so early and planned on either researching the items online or searching around The Bay.
Chicklet's birthday is this Saturday and I am heading down there tomorrow morning, so after procrastinating for almost a month, I dragged Adoring Husband into The Bay today, on a birthday gift reconnaissance.
I do my best work under pressure!
Our first stop was Toy World.
As we entered the building, there was a box of skipping ropes on sale, so I immediately grabbed one.
AH asked at the counter "Do you have any children's sleeping bags?" Their reply was "No."
I decided that I would have a look around anyway and see what they had in the way of dinosaurs and cheetahs.
We checked out the dinosaurs and the only one I really liked was a remote control dinosaur which cost $200, but it was suitable for a much older age group and cost more than we expected to spend, so we continued browsing.
I began searching the outer walls of the warehouse-sized shop. Junior lego tables, trikes, scooters, blackboards, teenage mutant ninja turtle sewer tents, pool toys ... then suddenly ... wait for it ... a combination tent, sleeping bag and pillow covered in a dinosaur pattern!!!! *happy dance*
AH removed it from the shelf and headed towards the check-out. "Wait!" I called out "I want to check their tea sets!"
I walked into the very next aisle and there in front of me, was a white ceramic tea set! I imagined a few dinosaur stickers strategically placed and decided it was perfect!
At the check out, there was a bonus when we learned that our purchases were on sale at 20% off! Yay!
Toy World didn't have any dinosaur stickers, so our next mission was to find some stickers small enough to fit comfortably on the very small tea set.
BIG W was our next stop, where AH immediately found the perfect dinosaur stickers required for the job at hand.
So, with time of the essence, we had the perfect gifts all in the space of thirty minutes!! Amazing!!
During our shopping, AH received a phone call from the SES for an emergency callout. He initially decided not to rush home for it, but as we drove past the SES shed, the group were still preparing the boat and other equipment, so he decided to join them after all.
He drove me and the goodies home, quickly dressed in uniform and rushed off to join the search for a young man who had fallen into the river at Maryborough after a possible seizure.
My first priority was to wrap the birthday gifts. I had some plain brown wrapping paper, so I wrapped both gifts in that and decorated them with my own handy work.
The first one I wrote her name in big puffy letters and drew peace signs, flowers, hearts and dinosaurs on it. For the second gift, I used the remaining dinosaur stickers to spell her name across the package.
Pretty happy with that!
Next on the agenda, was packing my suitcase - just a small one because I have clothes already down there, but I had brought some of them home last time, so they need to be returned. I have a new book to read, a few pieces of jewellery, my iPad, laptop and lastly, my toiletries.
Too easy.
I did a load of washing, removed the inedible food from the fridge and gave it a quick clean and lastly, cooked up half a dozen chicken thighs for AH to nibble on for the next couple of days.
So I reckon everything is pretty much under control.
See!? I told you I do my best work under pressure!
Nite all.
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
This Looks Good
We have to wait til June or July, but this one looks good. I bet it's going to be a real tear jerker!
More kitchen duties today. Beef stroganoff and beef casserole, then devilled avocado eggs to take to the park for the barbecue tonight.
I had boiled ten eggs last night and then didn't even think about them again until 40 minutes before we were due at the park! I had to shell the eggs, cut them in half and scoop out the yolks into a bowl. I added two avocados, some salt and pepper, the juice of half a lime, some onion powder and a teaspoon of chopped fresh coriander. Mashed it all together and spooned it back into the whites, then sprinkled some paprika over the top.
They were very popular (except for Adoring Husband, who wasn't fussed) and all twenty of them disappeared quickly .. half of them before we even ate dinner.
There were 13 of us there for our monthly barbecue, which is usually the first Tuesday of the month, but last week, we got stormed out, so we postponed until tonight. It was very gusty down there, but no storms or rain. At about 7pm, the wind dropped and the mosquitoes were out in full force.
Obviously Adoring Husband has the tastiest blood, because he was the first one bitten multiple times. He raced to the car to escape the nasty little insects, which meant that the rest of us copped it. This meant a mass exodus!
I have 24 hours til my trip to the Sunny Coast and I am not the slightest prepared!
Best get a good night of sleep so that I can power up for a big day tomorrow. So much to do, so little time!
Nite all.
More kitchen duties today. Beef stroganoff and beef casserole, then devilled avocado eggs to take to the park for the barbecue tonight.
I had boiled ten eggs last night and then didn't even think about them again until 40 minutes before we were due at the park! I had to shell the eggs, cut them in half and scoop out the yolks into a bowl. I added two avocados, some salt and pepper, the juice of half a lime, some onion powder and a teaspoon of chopped fresh coriander. Mashed it all together and spooned it back into the whites, then sprinkled some paprika over the top.
They were very popular (except for Adoring Husband, who wasn't fussed) and all twenty of them disappeared quickly .. half of them before we even ate dinner.
There were 13 of us there for our monthly barbecue, which is usually the first Tuesday of the month, but last week, we got stormed out, so we postponed until tonight. It was very gusty down there, but no storms or rain. At about 7pm, the wind dropped and the mosquitoes were out in full force.
Obviously Adoring Husband has the tastiest blood, because he was the first one bitten multiple times. He raced to the car to escape the nasty little insects, which meant that the rest of us copped it. This meant a mass exodus!
I have 24 hours til my trip to the Sunny Coast and I am not the slightest prepared!
Best get a good night of sleep so that I can power up for a big day tomorrow. So much to do, so little time!
Nite all.
Monday, February 8, 2016
Kitchen Time
It's been a while since I was inspired to spend time in the kitchen. In fact it's been a while since I was inspired to focus on my health .. probably since the beginning of the year .. the road trip sent me off course a bit and it's been a struggle to find my way back.
BUT .. I've decided that it's time to rein myself back into the cycle of good health.
This means no more early morning coffee. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning doesn't make me feel vibrant and energised and ready to face the day. In fact it kind of drains my motivation to do anything!
So it's back to warm lemon water, followed by bone broth and a trike ride to start my day. Coffee will happen at around 9am.
I've also increased my coffee intake to three coffees per day and that's too much. The dairy leaves me feeling full and bloated, which means I eat less nutritional food.
Oil pulling in the morning and evening has also been very intermittent this month and I can feel the difference, so it's time to be more vigilant with my oral health.
I need to reduce my now over indulgence of carbs. Potatoes and rice have been very high on my list of meal and snack options lately and they make me feel bloated, inflamed and I feel like I'm retaining fluid.
That's how easy it is to gradually fall off the health wagon and allow the less nutritious foods to not just sneak into your diet, but start to take up a large portion of it. I can literally feel the difference in my body, both physically and emotionally. I've had less energy and less motivation to do anything.
My sleeping pattern has changed too. Later to bed, not sleeping soundly, later to wake and not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.
I've struggled to find motivation in the kitchen and creating meals has been a chore.
Today, I made the decision to change. I've been poring through my favourite paleo recipes and spent the afternoon in the kitchen, making the chocolate mini cakes and a berry sorbet.
I started to plan a week of meals, but remembered that I'll be on the Sunny Coast for five days from Thursday, so I've planned it all for my return.
Having made the decision, I'm feeling excited and inspired to find the happy, healthy, vibrant me again.
Meanwhile, I discovered this a couple of days ago and thought it was interesting enough to share. I've got a bit of thing for cushions ...
Time for bed. Early to bed, early to rise!
Nite all.
BUT .. I've decided that it's time to rein myself back into the cycle of good health.
This means no more early morning coffee. Drinking coffee on an empty stomach first thing in the morning doesn't make me feel vibrant and energised and ready to face the day. In fact it kind of drains my motivation to do anything!
So it's back to warm lemon water, followed by bone broth and a trike ride to start my day. Coffee will happen at around 9am.
I've also increased my coffee intake to three coffees per day and that's too much. The dairy leaves me feeling full and bloated, which means I eat less nutritional food.
Oil pulling in the morning and evening has also been very intermittent this month and I can feel the difference, so it's time to be more vigilant with my oral health.
I need to reduce my now over indulgence of carbs. Potatoes and rice have been very high on my list of meal and snack options lately and they make me feel bloated, inflamed and I feel like I'm retaining fluid.
That's how easy it is to gradually fall off the health wagon and allow the less nutritious foods to not just sneak into your diet, but start to take up a large portion of it. I can literally feel the difference in my body, both physically and emotionally. I've had less energy and less motivation to do anything.
My sleeping pattern has changed too. Later to bed, not sleeping soundly, later to wake and not wanting to get out of bed in the morning.
I've struggled to find motivation in the kitchen and creating meals has been a chore.
Today, I made the decision to change. I've been poring through my favourite paleo recipes and spent the afternoon in the kitchen, making the chocolate mini cakes and a berry sorbet.
I started to plan a week of meals, but remembered that I'll be on the Sunny Coast for five days from Thursday, so I've planned it all for my return.
Having made the decision, I'm feeling excited and inspired to find the happy, healthy, vibrant me again.
Meanwhile, I discovered this a couple of days ago and thought it was interesting enough to share. I've got a bit of thing for cushions ...
Time for bed. Early to bed, early to rise!
Nite all.
Sunday, February 7, 2016
Choices Are Ours
If you want a good cry .. don't 'choose' to see this at the cinema .. wait til it comes out on dvd, buy it, and lock yourself in your lounge room with a box of tissues so that you can sob uncontrollably without worrying about anyone seeing or hearing you do it!
It took me a while to warm to the main characters .. especially the male lead, but it didn't take too long for him to become my favourite character.
Some people I know will love this movie, but some I know will screw up their nose.
Anyway, I liked the movie .. I can't say 'enjoyed' because it was too sad to enjoy, but what made the movie even better, was the company I was in. Thank you Lady Lynn and Mardi for inviting me and sharing your tears (and tissues) with me!
Here's one that I'm looking forward to for the end of March ... My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
I 'chose' to have our main meal for lunch today. More lamb back strap with sweet potato mash, roasted pumpkin, broccoli and a red wine jus. There was enough left over for Adoring Husband to have for dinner tonight.
How nice that Adoring Husband 'chose' to buy me a coffee this afternoon, even though I wasn't home yet! It just needed to be slightly reheated.
I believe that I will 'choose' to have an early night tonight. I want to wake up early for a trike ride - I haven't ridden my trike for two days now and need to sit by the river and soak up some fresh air and sunshine.
So, on that note...
Nite all.
It took me a while to warm to the main characters .. especially the male lead, but it didn't take too long for him to become my favourite character.
Some people I know will love this movie, but some I know will screw up their nose.
Anyway, I liked the movie .. I can't say 'enjoyed' because it was too sad to enjoy, but what made the movie even better, was the company I was in. Thank you Lady Lynn and Mardi for inviting me and sharing your tears (and tissues) with me!
Here's one that I'm looking forward to for the end of March ... My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2
I 'chose' to have our main meal for lunch today. More lamb back strap with sweet potato mash, roasted pumpkin, broccoli and a red wine jus. There was enough left over for Adoring Husband to have for dinner tonight.
How nice that Adoring Husband 'chose' to buy me a coffee this afternoon, even though I wasn't home yet! It just needed to be slightly reheated.
I believe that I will 'choose' to have an early night tonight. I want to wake up early for a trike ride - I haven't ridden my trike for two days now and need to sit by the river and soak up some fresh air and sunshine.
So, on that note...
Nite all.
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